Macmillan Gynae Cancer Specialist Nurses

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Macmillan Gynae Cancer Specialist Nurses

Patient Information Leaflet – Macmillan Gynae Cancer Specialist Nurse Service

This is an information leaflet about the role of the Macmillan Gynae Cancer Specialist Nurses.

Who are we?

We are a small team of Macmillan specialist nurses and a Cancer Pathway Navigator. Together we cover the three sites that make up Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Treatment Centre, The Alexandra Hospital Redditch). We also work with specialist cancer centres where patients need treatment outside our Trust.

We support people diagnosed with a gynaecological (gynae) cancer. Gynaecological cancer refers to different cancers that affect the female reproductive system. These include:

  • Womb (Endometrial)
  • Ovarian
  • Cervical
  • Vaginal
  • Vulval

Gynaecological cancers can affect anyone who has a womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes, a cervix, vagina and vulva. This includes women, transgender (trans) men and people assigned female at birth.

As specialist nurses we are able to provide advice and support. We are a point of contact for you and we’re here to help coordinate your care.

What support can we provide?

A member of the team will aim to meet you when you first receive your cancer diagnosis. At any point in your cancer journey we can:

-Talk about procedures, tests and investigations

-Help you understand treatments – how they work, their risks and benefits

-Help you manage symptoms and side-effects associated with cancer or your treatments

-Answer questions about your disease

-Advise about clinical trials and research

-Talk to you about any emotional or psychological issues you may be experiencing

-Talk about relationship or social issues

-Signpost you to support with your work or your finances

-Provide support for your family and friends

How we work:

Our service is covered 9-5, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. You can contact the team by phone or by email – whichever works best for you.

We are likely to be away from our desks when you call or email us. It is likely that your call will go through to an answerphone; please leave a message and we will aim to respond to you within 24hrs where possible. We will aim to respond to all emails within 24-48hrs.

We will not always be present when you come to the hospital for clinics or investigations. We want to provide you with a service that is tailored around you; if you need support from us at any point in your cancer journey please contact us to let us know.

Your calls or emails can be handled by any member of our team. We are all able to access your clinical information to signpost you to the help and support you need.

We are not an emergency clinical service and we do not work 24hr shift patterns.

Contacts:

  • To speak to a member of our team:

Call us on 01905 733257 or email us at [email protected]

Other contacts:

  • If you have a serious medical issue – for example, chest pain, severe shortness of breath or bleeding:

Call 999 or consider attending A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital

  • If you are under the care of a gynaecologist, or if you are a post-operative patient experiencing bleeding or wound issues:

Call the Emergency Gynaecology Assessment Unit on 01905 761489

  • If you are currently on radiotherapy or chemotherapy/anti-cancer medication prescribed by your oncologist and you are experiencing side-effects:

Call the Emergency Oncology Helpline on 01905 760158 – this line is open 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.

  • If you have a medical issue but it is not life-threatening:

Call your GP (within working hours) or 111

  • If you need information regarding an appointment or have a question for your oncologist or surgeon:

Call the relevant secretary:

  • If you have a comment, compliment, concern or complaint about the hospital/the Trust:

PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service): 0300 123 1732 or email: [email protected]

  • For general cancer-related advice and support:

Call Macmillan: 0808 8080000 for free 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week or visit www.macmillan.org.uk

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience

We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback

Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:

Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:

The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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