Acute Oncology service is nurse-led and supported by clinical and medical oncology specialist registrars, ensuring patients who develop acute cancer-related or cancer treatment-related problems receive the care they need quickly and in the most appropriate setting.
We work alongside MUO (malignancy of unknown origin) clinical nurse specialists, managing patients through diagnostic pathways when they are newly-diagnosed and during an acute episode of illness. We also support the management of CUP (cancer of unknown primary) patients where a primary cancer can not be determined.
The role of the team is to assess patients who are acutely unwell due to their cancer. The team offers support and advice to the medical and surgical teams, recommend further investigations and referrals to other specialties. This helps reduce delays in diagnosis or treatment, as well as supporting our patients and their families.
What we do
- Provide telephone advice to patients experiencing complications due to their cancer or treatment
- Provide expert clinical advice to colleagues in clinical teams who are responsible for looking after cancer patients during a period of acute admission
- Offer support and advice to patients and their families to help them make decisions about their treatment during an acute episode of illness
- Provide expert assessment and help ensure all cancer patients have a robust care plan relating to the management of their disease
- Give advice and education to other healthcare professionals
- Help facilitate an early discharge from hospital wherever possible
- Work with colleagues in the community to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
24-hour urgent advice line – 07717 343134
We have a 24 hour, 7 days a week urgent advice line for Kent Oncology Centre patients who have symptoms or side effects, or are feeling unwell from their chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy or other supportive treatments.
The urgent advice line is run by a nurse specialist, and if we do not answer straight away, we will try to call back as soon as possible.
When ringing the advice line, please have personal details such as you hospital number to hand. For oncology patients this usually begins with an ‘R’ followed by six numbers and can be found on clinic/appointment letters. We will confirm some of your details before conducting a thorough assessment; this is important for us to triage effectively.
In an emergency call 999 or go straight to your local A&E
- Chest pain
- Breathing difficulties
- Severe confusion or reduced level of consciousness
- Moderate to severe bleeding
- Stroke symptoms
- Other serious life-threatening emergencies
Our clinical team can provide advice on managing any symptoms or side effects at the point of contact and will liaise with your oncology team.
Depending on your symptoms and availability we may advise different options such as:
- Home management
- Your GP
- NHS 111
- Community services such as Urgent Community Response (UCR)
- Walk-in Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)
- Our Oncology Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)
- Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.
Remember this is an ‘advice’ service. Further follow up is via your site-specific CNS/consultant team.
Please keep a record of any side effects you experience during your treatment and highlight these to your consultant at any clinic appointments, so we can make any adjustments or changes to your treatment for your next cycle.
Acute Oncology Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service
This is an unscheduled patient day unit providing assessment, investigation and treatment of patients with urgent oncological problems, for Kent Oncology Centre patients who have cancer and are receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted treatments or immunotherapy.
We are open Tuesdays – Fridays (9am – 5pm, last referral 3pm))
You may have investigations performed such as blood tests, x-rays or other scans. Depending on the results, you may stay for a few hours for treatment or monitoring.
The Acute Oncology SDEC has no inpatient beds, if admission to hospital is needed this may be organised with the medical/surgical team.
Oncology SDEC is not a walk-in service, and you need to referred by the advice line or a healthcare professional. SDEC may not be the right place of care for you and that could be serious.
SDEC is not suitable for non-cancer/non-treatment related conditions, such as falls, acute chest pain, bleeding or unstable unwell patients.
What if I am not feeling well?
If you have had chemotherapy or other cancer treatments and have any below symptoms, you should urgently call the 24 hour urgent advice line on 07717 343134.
- Temperature less than 36◦c or more than 37.5◦c
- Shivering/feverish/flu-like symptoms
- Diarrhoea, vomiting, or burning when passing urine
- Sore throat
- Cough and sputum
- Redness or swelling, around wound or central line (PICC or Port sites)
The urgent advice line is run by one nurse specialist at a time. If we do not answer straight away, we will try to call back as soon as possible. We will triage your symptoms and if appropriate invite you for an appointment in the Acute Oncology SDEC.
Contact us
For queries about appointments, call between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.
- Chemotherapy appointments: 01622 225020 – Option 1
- Outpatient appointments: 01622 225020 – Option 2
- CT scanning: 01622 225688 / 01622 225127 / 01622 224260
- MRI scanning: 01622 225059 / 01622 224970
- PET scanning: 01622 228235
- Macmillan Information: 01622 225020 – Option 3
Other sources of advice and support
- Macmillan Cancer Support provides further information on different cancers, treatments and support available.
- The NHS website provides online information and guidance on all aspects of healthcare, to help you make decisions about your health.
- You can call NHS 111 if you need advice, or medical help but it is not a 999 emergency needing an ambulance response. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
If your query is not urgent, you can contact your clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
Contact your clinical nurse specialist
- Brain (neuro): 01622 228743
- Head and neck: 01622 225094
- Lung:
- Maidstone: 01622 225256
- Tunbridge Wells: 01892 635358
- Breast: 01622 227415
- Upper GI: 01622 224675
- Lower GI
- Maidstone: 01622 228664 / 01622 228888
- Tunbridge Wells: 01892 635336
- Gynae: 01622 226375
- Urology (prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular)
- Maidstone: 01622 224021
- Tunbridge Wells: 01892 635837
- Melanoma: 01622 220039
- Metastatic colorectal: 01622 227077
- Metastatic breast: 01622 228986