A new nurse-led service dedicated to treating cancer patients has opened at Finchley Memorial Hospital.

All patients will start their treatment at the Royal Free, Barnet or Chase Farm hospitals but will be offered the choice of continuing their treatment at FMH’s infusion suite which offers cancer patients chemotherapy infusions and supportive treatments.

The service is a joint project between the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Hospitals Trust.

Rebecca Longmate, deputy director of nursing for transplant and specialist services at the Royal Free, said: “Patients need infusions over a period of months or even years so that is a lot of travelling to and from the hospital. At FMH we’re providing the same high quality care but closer to home, which helps to relieve that extra stress of travelling.

“The other added benefits of FMH are that it is brand new, modern and purpose-built with more than 200 free parking spaces. There is also a garden where patients can relax and the surrounding land is being developed into green space.”

More than 1,300 infusions every year are expected to be conducted at the unit, which is open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm.

The first patient to be treated at the new unit was mother Tithi Pandya, who lives in North Finchley.

Mrs Pandya, 30, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February this year and is currently receiving chemotherapy at Barnet Hospital.

She said: “It’s very convenient for me and saves me so much time – it takes me 45 minutes on the bus to Barnet Hospital, as opposed to a 15-minute walk to Finchley Memorial. That really helps me in terms of organising childcare as well.”