For Patients, Families and Supporters

A cancer diagnosis can impact your financial situation. There are a number of organisations available to provide financial support and advice. 

Please speak to a member of your care team for more information.

Links to charity partners that can help support you:

• Young Lives vs Cancer
• Front Page | It's Never You 
• Money and benefits | Maggie's 

At the PTC there are two main car parks (car park 1 and car park 2) for patients and visitors onsite. There are discounted rates available for patients and frequent visitor tickets. 

Discounted parking

You can get free parking at CUH if you or your child is having regular day case appointments, for example attending for radiotherapy or chemotherapy.  This includes attending Maggie's Cancer Centre for any appointments such as counselling. 

Please ask the department you are attending to stamp your parking ticket and take the stamped ticket to the car parking office before exiting the car park.

More information can be found on the CUH website. 

Where to park

Please park on any level in car parks 1 or 2. You may need to present your appointment details. 

If you have any further questions, please speak to the staff at the car park customer service desks which are found on the ground level in both car parks.

For oncology/haematology adult clinics see more information here: Finding your way around cancer services | CUH 

The majority of treatment may take place at Addenbrookes hospital as the PTC. There is some short term accommodation available on campus for families. 

Pemberton House - Guest house for relatives of patients who are in hospital. Bookings and payment are made through their website.

Elsworth House - Bookable by hospital staff.

Kingston House - Short term residential rooms for parents and children. Currently for Children's Services and Brainbow. Bookable by hospital staff.

Linton House - For adult family members of leukaemia patients. Bookable by hospital staff. Supported by Karen's Homes from Home.  

On site

• Food outlets, small shops and coffee shops in the Concourse, Outpatients and ATC.

• Jungle Trail - Find the animals hidden around the hospital and gardens. 

• Landscape gardens and green spaces around the campus.

Close by

Below are local options for things to do and amenities close by. Please check with your nurse before going offsite.

Less than 30 min walk

• Nightingale Playground - Recreation space, play equipment and trim trail - CB1 8SG
• Hobson Park - Grassland walk and nature - CB2 9DQ
• Trumpington Recreation Ground - Play equipment - CB2 9JF
• Clay Farm Centre - Community centre, café and library - CB2 9FN
• Stir - Coffee, food, eat in or pre order - CB2 0AX
• The Hub - Astra Zeneca - Coffee, food, eat in or takeaway - CB2 0AA
• Sainsburys Local Hobson Square - Supermarket - CB2 9AP
• Nisa Local - Hobson Square - Supermarket - CB2 9FA
• Co-op - Supermarket - CB1 3RU

Transport required

• Trumpington Meadows - Nature reserve and walk - CB2 9LH
• Botanical Gardens* - Garden walks, plants, flowers, café - CB2 1JE
• Wandlebury Country Park - Woodland and nature walks - CB22 3AE
• Cambridge Leisure Park - Restaurants, hotel, supermarket, bowling, cinema - CB1 7DY
• Fitzwilliam museum - Exhibitions /museum - CB2 1RB
• Cambridge City Centre - Shops, restaurants, museums - CB2 3BZ
• Duxford Imperial War Museum* - Museum, planes, history - CB22 4QR

       *Ticket required

Cancer can have an impact on education. Further support and guidance can be sought from your school or through the exam boards for special consideration.

Useful links include:

• Education - Young Lives vs Cancer
• Exams while your child is having treatment - Young Lives vs Cancer
• Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration - JCQ Joint - Council for Qualifications 
• AQA Exam Board special consideration
• About your health condition, illnesses or disabilities - Citizens Advice     

There are options available for taking a break from higher education. 

• Deferred Entry To University | UCAS

Adjustments can be requested at the workplace

• What reasonable adjustments are - Reasonable adjustments at work - Acas
• Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions - GOV.UK

For carers

• Carers' rights at work - Sense   

A cancer diagnosis can have immense emotional and social challenges for you, your family and supporters. The shock and stress of diagnosis and treatment often disrupts normal life and can cause distress, affecting well-being and relationships.

It is important that you know you are not alone. There are many services available to help.

Your paediatric, teenage and young adult (TYA) or adult clinical nurse specialist (CNS) are there to support you and can help suggest which further services may be helpful.

For under 16 year olds there is support available via the wider team including play specialists, counsellors and psychologists based at Addenbrookes. Contacts can be found here. Some support may also be available at your local hospital (POSCU).

For 13 to 24-year-olds and their families/supporters; the specialist TYA team based at Addenbrookes includes CNS’s, a youth support coordinator, counsellors and a community lead who can offer support & advice. Contacts can be found here. They can also put you in touch with one of the regional TYA CNS’s: based at Peterborough, Norwich and Ipswich.

Support is available via other organisations; many of these are listed on the Resources section of this website.

The networks have a Parent and Families Group and the TYA Voice Project, providing opportunities to be involved and shape future care for children and young people with a cancer diagnosis.

More information below.