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Background: Centralisation of health care services has been one of the recent developments in the field of health policy. The aim of such projects is to improve the quality of the services provided to the patients and to achieve more efficient cost allocations. Objectives: In this study we aim to examine the costs incurred by the centralisation of head and neck cancer surgery from a peripheral London Hospital (Chase Farm Hospital) to University College London Hospital (UCLH) Head and Neck Department. We then compare those with the costs incurred by Chase Farm prior to implementing the centralisation. Methods: The costs are calculated using the Trust reference costing as published by the Department of Health, United Kingdom. A sensitivity analysis of the costs is performed. Findings: The transfer of head and neck cancer surgery from a peripheral London Hospital to UCLH has been accompanied by cost savings on this study. The results suggest, though, that there is further space for improvement. Conclusion: Our study has been performed in a difficult economic climate that every health authority is pursuing cost efficiencies and cost reductions. It is a positive signal that when costs can be identified and measured, then resources can be allocated more efficiently. Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) cannot stay outside these developments; it is imperative that OMFS doctors and nurses engage in cost evaluation processes in order to guarantee the future of the specialty.

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