Introduction
This patient information will explain the role of the Haematology Cancer Nurse Specialist (CNS).
They may also be known as your key worker or CNS.
The Haematology CNS Team are highly trained and experienced nurses.
You will usually meet a CNS when you are told your diagnosis or at your first consultation at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT).
To help support you your CNS will give you a card containing their contact details and working hours.
At diagnosis
Your CNS is there to offer emotional support, information and practical advice from the time of your diagnosis, throughout your course of treatment and afterwards.
Your CNS works closely with the Trust’s Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). The MDT is a team of healthcare professionals who will be caring for and supporting you throughout your diagnosis and treatment.
The MDT includes doctors, nurses, cancer care coordinators (CCC), advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) and other allied healthcare professionals.
As part of this team, your CNS will be there to help you better understand your diagnosis. They can also answer questions you may have as well as giving you additional information.
Your CNS can talk through any issues with you and discuss individual treatment options.
The CNS team is available by telephone or face-to-face appointment to provide information and support.
We understand that breaking your news to family members and friends, especially children can be difficult. Your CNS can help offer advice on having conversations with loved ones and also with your permission, can provide information directly to a family member, if this would be helpful for you.
Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA)
At diagnosis you will also be offered an assessment to identify any practical, emotional or financial concerns you may have. This is known as a Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) and will be carried out by your Cancer Care Coordinator (CCC) shortly after diagnosis and at key points in your pathway.
Your CCC works closely with the CNS team throughout your cancer journey.
During treatment and afterwards
Throughout your treatment your CNS will continue to support you with any information that you need. This might include information on treatments, side effects and recovery. Your CNS may not always be in clinic with you but they can be contacted by the clinic staff and are available for all of your questions.
A CNS is there to look after your emotional and practical needs as well as supporting your treatment plan.
They are able to refer you to other professionals should you need emotional or financial support – by speaking about any issues or concerns you have your CNS can get you the right support you need when you need it.
Your CNS will continue to be available to you while you are being followed up at ULHT.
Don’t forget you can contact your CNS about any aspect of your cancer treatment and recovery.
How to get in touch with the team
When contacting your CNS with non-urgent enquiries, please leave a brief summary along with your name and date of birth. This allows us to assess and prioritise all of our patient’s needs.
We will return your call as soon as possible, although this may not be on the same working day depending on the nature of your query.
Your CNS will discuss with you when it is appropriate to use our emergency bleep.
It is generally intended for informing us quickly of symptoms requiring immediate assessment such as infection.
Contact details:
Useful contact numbers
| Pharmacy (for medication queries) | Pilgrim – 01205 365583
Grantham – 01476 464276 Lincoln – 01522 597889 |
|
Treatment Schedulers (appointment queries) |
Pilgrim/Grantham – 01205 446779 Lincoln – 01522 307145 |
|
Chemotherapy Suites
|
Pilgrim – 01205 446548 Grantham – 01476 464408 Lincoln – 01522 572261 |
|
Haematology Secretaries (for clinic appointment queries) |
Pilgrim – 01205 466307 Grantham – 01476 464460 Lincoln – 01522 572347/597790 |
Blood tests
All blood tests are by appointment only at Pilgrim Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital. Appointments can be booked online at:
www.ulh.nhs.uk/services/blood-testing-phlebotomy
If you are unable to use the online service, please call the numbers below:
| Pilgrim | 01205 446333 | Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
|
| Grantham | 01476 464706 | Monday-Friday 2.30pm-3.30pm
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| Lincoln | 01522 573754 | Monday-Friday 2.30pm-3.30pm
|
Dedicated charities
www.macmillan.org.uk
www.bloodcancer.org.uk
www.carersfirst.org.uk
www.leukaemiacare.org.uk
www.cancersupportlincolnshire.nhs.uk
www.maggies.org
www.myeloma.org.uk
www.shinecancersupport.org