People affected by cancer often require extra support, particularly when it comes to managing their health and symptoms in an emergency situation. Those living with and being treated for cancer are four times more likely to be admitted to hospital if they attend A&E and around half of the people admitted would have benefitted from an alternative pathway.
The reason is because people with cancer can suffer serious side effects from their treatment, which is often very complex. Or their cancer may have progressed, spreading to other parts of their body such as the bones or brain. Sometimes, people are diagnosed with cancer in emergency departments.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is committed to providing the very best support for these patients, ensuring that they receive the right level of care, in the most appropriate settings, whether that’s in hospital, in the community or elsewhere.
As a Trust, we are leading the way nationally in what is known as Urgent Cancer Care (UCC) – driving real change for cancer patients who require emergency support.
provision of urgent cancer care in the region.
For example, calls to our Clatterbridge Hotline, a phone line dedicated to patients who require support during their treatment, have reduced referrals to emergency departments by 10%, with half of Hotline calls now directed to care outside of A&E. The work of our Hotline team, with close collaboration from teams across the network, means patients are able to manage symptoms and side effects better and less of our patients are visiting A&E and instead are being seen in more appropriate settings.
Over 1,600 patients have also been redirected via new pathways to Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and Urgent Community Response (UCR) services, in addition to other referrals to community teams, GPs and Hospital at Home services. This has kept those patients out of hospital, not only improving their experience and giving them the most appropriate care, but meaning colleagues in acute hospitals can support patients with the most need.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is part of a unique collaboration with the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance and regional Urgent and Emergency Care providers through the Urgent Cancer Care Programme Board. The Board provides a collaborative forum for regional oversight and shared learning, supporting the collective transformation of urgent cancer care across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is also a key contributor to the UK Acute Oncology Society (UKAOS), a multidisciplinary group of health professionals committed to the development and delivery of acute oncology services in the UK.
Over a dozen representatives from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre were also in attendance at the recent UKAOS Conference in Birmingham. Amongst them was keynote speaker, Joan Spencer, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. A cancer nurse by background, Joan spoke about her own journey of ‘ward to board’ and how her experiences in different roles throughout her career have given her an insight into the importance of every aspect of patient care, including unplanned urgent care to emergency departments for cancer patients and how that is facilitated and managed.
cancer care on a recent podcast.
Dr Ernie Marshall, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is currently Chair of the Board at UKAOS, having dedicated his career for many years to driving urgent cancer care transformation both regionally and nationally.
Also representing The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on the board of UKAOS is Acute Oncology Nurse Consultant Alison Taylor and Kate Lacey, Metastatic Spinal Chord Compression Lead.
As part of its commitment, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is the first cancer treatment centre to have leadership in urgent cancer care, with Kate now working as the Trust’s Urgent Cancer Care Lead.
Kate’s new role is unique, as Cheshire and Merseyside lead the way nationally in prioritising urgent and emergency cancer care. Our region is the first area in the country with a specific emergency cancer care strategy and extensive programme to support it.
Kate says: “I’m truly passionate about this area of work and so I’m delighted to be leading a fantastic team. It’s our job to ensure cancer patients get the care they need, when they need it, in the most appropriate setting.
“We’ve got some ambitious objectives with this work, including increasing referrals to other support services, reducing attendance at emergency departments and introducing service standards and metrics.
“The team and I will be looking at all the ways we can bridge the gap between unplanned urgent care and planned cancer treatment. Our work has already begun and I’m truly inspired by the strides that have been made so far. I look forward to working alongside CCC colleagues and partners to continue to drive this important project.”
