Cancer Information
Travelling off island for treatment
What happens if I need to go off-Island for treatment?
One of the concerns for people affected by cancer on the Island, is travelling to the UK for treatment. Some cancer tests and treatments are not available on the Isle of Man, so we link into specialist centre’s within the UK based NHS Trusts, usually these are located within the Merseyside and Greater Manchester regions.
Making travel arrangements to go off-Island for treatment.
If you need to travel off-Island for treatment, the Department of Health and Social Care will provide assistance to organise your travel. This is done through the Patient Transfers Department, based at The Lodge, Braddan Road, Strang.
For more information on the support available from Patient Transfers, click here to visit the Isle of Man Government web pages, or you can contact them directly:
Patient Transfer
Crookall House
Demesne Road
Douglas
Telephone: 01624 642617
Email: patient.transfer@gov.im
Patients are usually allowed to take someone with them when they go for treatment. They can also claim back up to £28 per person, per night, towards the cost of the accommodation. For more details, please contact the Patient Transfers Department.
Travelling to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
If you are having radiotherapy, you may need to travel to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre for treatment. Some patients stay in the local area whilst they have their treatment, and some patients stay as in-patients on the ward at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Where you will stay during treatment will be discussed with you in more detail at your oncology clinic appointment, and if appropriate you will be given a booklet about the accommodation available in the Clatterbridge area. Usually, you will need to book the accommodation yourself, although Patient Transfers will make the travel arrangements.
Your Clinical Nurse Specialist or the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre can answer any questions you may have about making these arrangement.
Sources of support when you are at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Macmillan cancer Information and Support Service
The Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Service is based on the right hand side as you go through the main entrance into Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. If you have any queries, please ask in the Centre for information and support. You can find there contact details here.
Wirral Manx Society
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These are a group of volunteers with Manx connections who visit people from the Island whilst they are staying in the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. A leaflet about the Wirral Manx Society is available from the Isle of Man Macmillan Cancer Information Centre.
Wirral Holistic Centre
The centre offers a range complementary therapies which may be helpful. For more information click here.
Information for patients being treated at other hospitals within the UK
If you are visiting other hospitals in the UK, click here to access more information from the hospitals website via the NHS Choices website.
You can find the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service nearest to your UK hospital by clicking here. The Macmillan Support Service will be able to provide you with details about the hospital where you are being treated along with details of accommodation and services nearby.
Support from the MCISS
We hope you find the information that you need. If there is anything you can’t find, please contact the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service (MCISS).
They can be found at the Main Entrance to Noble’s Hospital in Douglas, and are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. You can contact them by phone on 01624 650735 or email them.