The team provides support for patients and their carers and helps the patient’s medical team communicate effectively with patient’s treating specialist team who are often in another hospital.
The team also help to support patients who have a new diagnosis that has been found during their hospital stay.
Treatments provided
We support patients and their carers in both the Emergency Department and when admitted onto a hospital ward.
For patients who have just been told they have cancer, we will provide support and help advocate to ensure that the patient and their carers wishes are understood and questions answered to the best of our abilities. The acute oncology specialist nurse will act as the patient’s keyworker (main point of contact), throughout their hospital stay whilst they complete any further tests or biopsies.
If a new cancer is difficult to tell where it first started, something we call Malignancy of Unknown Origin (MUO), we will guide doctors on what the next steps should be.
If the patient is already on cancer treatment, we will let their specialist cancer team know that they are currently in hospital and will keep them updated throughout their stay. We will share with our doctors, any important information relating to a person’s cancer including what treatment they are having.
We help emergency department & ward doctors provide expert care to treat the side effects of cancer treatments by providing specialist advice, signposting to guidelines and protocols and linking with the patient’s oncologist (treating doctor). These treatments may be chemotherapy, immunotherapy targeted treatments or radiotherapy.
The Acute Oncology team support doctors in spotting and treating complications caused by the cancer itself. This can include symptoms caused by cancer spreading eg. to the brain or spine (metastatic spinal cord compression) which may need specialist investigation and/or scans.
We will also involve other teams such as the Palliative care or Welfare team who can help support patients with difficulties such as pain or money worries.
Team overview
The Acute Oncology service at WTWA is provided by 4 Oncology consultants, 2 Clinical Nurse Specialists, 3 Associate Nurse Specialists and a coordinator.
We are based at Wythenshawe Hospital and provide cover at Trafford General.
Service Hours:
Weekdays, 8am – 6pm
Weekends and Bank holidays, 8am – 4pm
Contact Details:
Tel: 0161 291 2582
Email: mft.acuteoncologywythenshawe@nhs.net
Air Call via Switch: 0161 998 7070
Personalised Cancer Care
We know that being admitted to hospital is a very stressful time, bringing with it many different worries. When staying in hospital, the Acute Oncology team will help support patients in pinpointing and talking through their worries by offering a Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA).
A HNA is a questionnaire that covers a range of possible concerns and can help patients to pick out any key worries they wish to discuss. Following the questionnaire, the patient and AO team will bring together a personal plan on how best to support their concerns. This might involve just talking things through or referring on to another team or service.
Follow up including Personalised Stratified Follow up (PSFU)
The Acute Oncology Team will support patients for as long as is needed. We may ask for patients to be seen by other specialist teams who are experts in a certain type of cancer or who can help with symptoms such as pain. We may also suggest other services who can help with counselling or help once at home.
Useful links and further information
Macmillan Cancer Information Centres
We have Macmillan Information/Wellbeing Centres at Trafford General and Wythenshawe Hospital. Both our centres are open Monday to Friday from 09:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The centres provide a range of information booklets, fact sheets, videos and audio tapes. Centre staff will talk you through what other services and support is available.
Trafford General
0161 746 2080
Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 5SN
Wythenshawe Hospital
0161 291 4876
Entrance 3, Wythenshawe Hospital, 3 Southmoor Rd, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 9LT
Maggie’s Cancer Support Centres
There are Maggie’s Cancer support centres in Manchester and Oldham. The centres are open to all patients and families/ carers affected by cancer. They provide emotional, financial, practical and carer support.
Maggie’s Manchester
0161 641 4848
The Robert Parfett Building, The Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Kinnaird Road, Manchester, M20 4QL
Maggie’s Oldham
0161 989 0550
The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Road, Oldham, OL1 2JH