Cancer care team
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Expert support for every stage of your journey
As soon as you are referred to us for private cancer treatment, you will be looked after by our expert cancer teams who will provide full support at every stage of your cancer journey.
You will be in the hands of a multi-disciplinary team of highly experienced doctors and nurses and other specialists who all have specialist training in your type of cancer and who will involve you in all decisions about your individual treatment.
In addition to your expert clinical team, our administrative, housekeeping and catering staff will do their very best to ensure you have everything you need and are as comfortable as possible.
Here are some of the professionals who will look after you:
Specialist nurses
At every step of the way, your cancer nursing team will help you and your family with your condition and treatment. They will help manage your symptoms or the side-effects of your treatment and give you the emotional and social support you need. Here are the main roles:
Oncology clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
This is an expert chemotherapy nurse who has specialist nursing training in your type of cancer. They will act as your designated contact for questions about your treatment and as the link between all the specialists looking after you.
Specialist chemotherapy nurses
If you need chemotherapy, you will be looked after by our specially trained chemotherapy nurses who will provide continuity of care. We believe it is important that you see the same two or three nurses throughout your treatment so that they get to know you individually and how to support you in the best way.
Ward manager and in-patient nursing team: if you are an in-patient, you will have a team of nurses led by the ward manager looking after your day-to-day care. Our wards are staffed 24 hours a day so if you have a concern, experience unexpected symptoms or simply want to put your mind at rest, a member of the team will be available to support you.
Allied health professionals
You will have access to a range of health professionals to support your treatment depending on your needs and the type of cancer you have. These can include pharmacists, dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.
Palliative care team
We aim to provide the very best in palliative care with a team of specialist palliative care doctors and nurses to help you if your illness is in its later stages. They can help with providing emotional support and controlling and easing your symptoms, such as pain or breathlessness, to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.
In addition to our palliative care team, the charity Maggie’s has a centre within the grounds of Charing Cross Hospital where you can obtain emotional, practical and social support. You can also access a Macmillan Cancer Support adviser and information at our cancer services at Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals.
Patient navigator
Your patient navigator will act as a single point of contact for answers to your questions and ensure you progress through your treatment as smoothly as possible. They will liaise with your clinical nurse specialist to ensure joined-up care, help with appointment bookings, deal with your insurer and medical paperwork, and provide information on cancer support groups.
Administrative team
In addition to your expert clinical team, we have a dedicated team of administrators who can help you with medical paperwork, liaising with insurers and dealing with embassies if you are from overseas.