Children's cancer services

About

Our paediatric oncology (cancer) service is based at St Mary’s Hospital within the paediatrics department. It is part of the paediatric haematology and bone marrow transplantation service provided by the paediatric haematology team.

The service accepts urgent two-week referrals from GPs, self-referrals via our paediatric accident and emergency department and referrals from other paediatric services within the Trust.

Holistic care is provided with an emphasis on carrying out safe and effective treatment with as little disruption as possible to the child’s normal life. Close communication is maintained at all times with the primary treatment centres and the children’s community nursing teams.

Shared care paediatric oncology unit (POSCU)

Our service has the only level 2 shared care paediatric oncology unit (POSCU) in north west London and is part of the North Thames Children and Young People Cancer Network. We work closely with Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London Hospital and the children’s community nursing teams in four London boroughs.

Patients are looked after by a specialist team led by a paediatric haemato-oncology consultant, supported by specialist nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, play specialists and physiotherapists. We offer all aspects of inpatient and outpatient supportive care and day care chemotherapy. The unit consistently performs at a very high level as per the National Cancer Action Team standards by external peer reviewers.

Additional information

Education and elective placements

Any medical students wishing to undertake elective placements, or anyone interested in work experience, should contact Dr Leena Karnik on l.karnik@nhs.net and the St Mary's Hospital electives team on imperial.electives@nhs.net.

Further online resources

• Macmillan Cancer Support – children’s cancers 
• Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group
• Cancer Research UK
• Bloodwise - leukaemia and lymphoma research
• Headsmart
• Teenage Cancer Trust
• Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer

St Mary's Hospital oncology clinics

Patients referred via the two week referral pathway are seen in weekly specialist paediatric oncology clinics held in the paediatric haematology day unit.

Patients on treatment for haematological (blood) and solid malignancies are seen in dedicated treatment clinics held every week in our new, state-of-the-art haematology day care unit.

Address

Paediatric haematology day unit
Sixth floor
Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) building
St Mary’s Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY

Please note: The Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) building can be accessed via South Wharf Road. 

Hours

Tuesday afternoons from 13.30 to 16.30.

Contact information

Phone: 020 3312 6157

The paediatric oncology clinical nurse specialist, Ana Cabera, can be contacted on 020 3312 5023, or bleep 1230 via the hospital switchboard 020 3312 6666.

Consultants 

Dr Marc Arca, consultant paediatrician with a special interest in haematology and oncology
Dr Nichola Cooper, consultant haematologist 
Dr Josu de la Fuente, consultant paediatric haematologist, director of blood and marrow transplantation service 
Dr Leena Karnik, consultant paediatric haematologist, clinical lead 
Dr Kirstin Lund, consultant paediatric haematologist
Dr Adam Gassas, consultant paediatrician

Nurses

Sandrine Bremathas, paediatric bone marrow transplant coordinator  
Rachael Brown, clinical nurse specialist haemoglobinopathies 
Ana Cabrera, clinical nurse specialist oncology and haematology 
Yvonne Harrington, paediatric bone marrow transplant coordinator  
Marion Ong, clinical nurse specialist paediatric haematology day care  
Olivia Rabanal, paediatric bone marrow transplant coordinator 

Before your appointment

All patients will be seen within two weeks of their referral. Parents/caregivers should attend all appointments with their children. 

Please remember to bring your child’s ‘red book’ to your appointment and to check your appointment letter for anything specific you have been asked to take with you. In addition, it would be helpful if you could bring the following:

• your full address and telephone number(s)
• your appointment card and appointment letter
• your GP's name and address
• a list of questions you may want to ask your consultant
• patients already on treatment need to bring their hand-held record book
• a list of medications (or the medications) that your child is currently on

During your appointment

Your first appointment with us will take approximately 40 to 60 minutes. Follow-up appointments usually take 20 minutes.

If your child has been referred by your GP as an urgent two week wait referral, they will be seen by a consultant for a full clinical assessment and may undergo blood tests and other investigations such as an x-ray or ultrasound on the same day.

If your child is undergoing treatment for cancer and has been referred to our unit for shared care, he or she will be seen in the paediatric oncology clinic or paediatric haematology day care unit, depending on the type of treatment they are having. Your child will be seen by the lead consultant for paediatric oncology and a specialist nurse for an assessment before their treatment.

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so medical students may be present for some appointments. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the nurse or doctor know and the students will be asked to step outside.

After your appointment

You will be given a contact number for the clinical nurse specialist to be able to receive results over the telephone if you so wish. We will book a follow-up appointment if necessary, before leaving the clinic area.

Macmillan navigators

As part of the Macmillan Cancer Support and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust partnership, we’ve introduced the Macmillan cancer navigators service.

Macmillan navigators offer a single phone contact for all cancer patients. They can help with booking appointments, accessing local support services and finding answers to any questions. Please call the Macmillan navigators team with any questions you have about your cancer care. Click here to learn more.

GP

Two week wait cancer referrals — click here to learn more. 

GP advice

Please phone: 020 3312 6666 bleep 1202 (paediatric SpR), bleep 2261 (paediatric haematology SpR).