Pictured: The acute oncology team, from L to R: Registered Nurse Emma Bond, Registered Nurse Claire Johnson, Dr Barry Quinn, Dr Maria Drzymala and Registered Nurse Fiona Power.
New acute oncology service: Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recently launched a new service for emergency patients with cancer related problems to ensure they have swift access to specialist cancer teams.
The new service, launched in December, is led by Dr Barry Quinn, Macmillan Consultant Lead Nurse for Cancer and Palliative Care at the Trust in collaboration with Consultant Oncologist Dr Maria Drzymala and a team of specialist nurses.
Barry explains more: “The new acute oncology service is designed to improve the care and treatment of people who arrive as emergency patients via our A&E department, who have cancer related problems or a suspected cancer. These patients – many of whom will already be receiving regular cancer treatments – benefit enormously from direct input from our specialist team in these emergency situations. The specialist team support and advise their A&E colleagues as to the best and most appropriate course of action, making sure patients are receiving the best possible care. For patients arriving in A&E with a suspected cancer, the new service means they will be fast tracked into the system to ensure a more rapid diagnosis and treatment. This is a really important development for our cancer services and the support is already making a difference to patients’ experience while they are in hospital.”
The new service consists of a senior cancer nurse who is available between 8.00am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday, and the Consultant Oncologist who is available each weekday morning, with specialist advice and support accessible from an on-call registrar and consultant outside these hours. A&E staff are able to call the team for assistance, and the team will continue to support patients once they have left the emergency department and are either admitted to a ward or when they have returned home, giving further reassurance and support.
Marcus Wootton, Emergency Nurse Leader from A&E commented: “The Acute Oncology Service has been a huge sucess and has, in the short time it's been running, provided a much more streamlined service for our cancer patients. Evidence clearly demonstrates that effective and rapid treatment in these cases can make a significant difference to patients and this service is a huge step forward in this regard.”
Barry added: “It’s important to point out that this is not a new way of referring patients to our cancer services; that hasn’t changed, all patients with a suspected cancer referred by their GP will be seen within 2 weeks. This is an additional service that helps to make sure emergency cancer patients receive the quickest and most appropriate treatment when they are in crisis, with access to specialist support and reassurance. And because we are able to offer the right support, this often means patients can actually go home much sooner which for many people, is the most appropriate place to be.”
Come and share your experience
On 11th April, the Trust is hosting a user group meeting for patients and their families who use or have used cancer services at the Trust to come and share their experiences. The event is being supported by the Macmillan Charity, and will take place from 6 – 8 pm at St Peter’s Hospital Post Graduate Education Centre.
Barry adds: “We would like to invite patients who have cancer, and their families, to come and learn more about our services and to talk to us about their experiences, to help us continue to improve and develop our services. Following the meeting we would like to form a cancer user group to help us with future service developments. We would really value your input.”
If you are interested in attending or taking part, please come along on the evening or contact Barry at barry.quinn@asph.nhs.uk.
Picture caption: The acute oncology team, from left to right: Registered Nurse Emma Bond, Registered Nurse Claire Johnson, Dr Barry Quinn, Dr Maria Drzymala and Registered Nurse Fiona Power.