Contact details
Email:
cancer.centre@uclh.nhs.uk
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Welcome to the bi-monthly update on the development of the University College Hospital (UCH) Macmillan Cancer Centre. Please email cancer.centre@uclh.nhs.uk with any comments, queries or feedback.
Building update
Work continues on schedule with the main entrances on Huntley Street and Mortimer Market now complete. Works inside are progressing well with levels 1, 2 and 3 complete. In the coming weeks work will include completing the bronze finishes to the external glass stairs, fit out of the main reception area, completion of external works by London Borough of Camden, progressing second fix services and joinery to the final floors, final planning to the roof garden and testing and commissioning of the building systems. For more information contact cancer.centre@uclh.nhs.uk.
Information, communications and technology (ICT) update
We are approaching the stage where we will be piloting the Cancer Centre IT systems with users ready for go-live. This month representatives from teams across cancer services will be spending time with the three new systems (Check and Track, The Scheduler and Patient Portal) to test the functions and identify any bugs. From mid-January we aim to be piloting the Scheduler, initially with the Myeloma, CNS/Brain, Lung and Urology teams. The Scheduler will help to connect all the dots on a patient's cancer pathway; from early diagnostics through to staging, multi-disciplinary discussions, treatments and follow ups. It will enable everyone who interacts with a patient to be fully up-to-date on the patient’s pathway. For the Check and Track systems pilot, there will be temporary kiosks in the Rosenhiem that will allow patients to self check in to waiting areas and temporary screens that will ‘call’ them to clinic. We will also be selecting patients to trial the new Patient Portal which allows patients to view upcoming appointments, make notes and send messages to their clinical team. Alongside this, training packages will be developed with the Trust's ICT training teams, to ensure staff are familiar with the IT systems before the big move.
For more information contact ben.goretzki@uclh.nhs.uk.New scanner a first for the UK
Pharmacy dispensary update
The development of the Cancer Centre has provided a unique opportunity to centralise a specialist pharmacy service closer to the patient and to deliver a comprehensive support service for all aspects of pharmaceutical care. The introduction of another automated dispensing system within UCLH will help increase the time that pharmacists can spend with patients to ensure medicines are taken appropriately whilst continuing to build on the high standards of medication safety within the Trust. Utilising the Centre’s IT information systems, the service will be able to identify workflow and provide discharge medication to patients whilst having chemotherapy so they can depart directly from the clinical area. The new pharmacy dispensary will have the facility to deliver the entire cancer clinical trial portfolio for patients and the private counselling space means that patients have access to counselling about their medications in comfortable surroundings. We will continue to learn from patients’ needs and the flexibility that the Cancer Centre pharmacy dispensary affords will allow us to meet those needs for years to come.
Email: cancer.centre@uclh.nhs.uk for more information.
Productive outpatients project update
The cancer services productive outpatients project is now in the improvement phase and many solutions to issues identified have been introduced. These include purchasing a Spirometer for the lung clinic, redesigning patient information leaflets, reviewing choose and book referrals and providing a stamp for patients’ blood forms to highlight those who require their results for on the day consultation. We are now focusing on the next steps which include:
- Working to change our clinic templates to suit the needs of the patients, accounting for the variations in demand and capacity, and to reduce our waiting times
- Identifying the roles of volunteers which will include assisting patients around clinic, providing an orientation for new patients, providing refreshments and assisting patients in completing audits, surveys and questionnaires
- ‘Experienced Based Design’ will be introduced to monitor improvements to the overall patient experience by asking patients how they feel at each step of their pathway in the outpatients department
Our vision for the future is to improve the patient pathway, reduce ‘did not attends’ (DNAs) and have minimum waiting on day of appointments. For more information contact gulen.kaplan@uclh.nhs.uk.
Developments in teenage and young adult service
The current daycare service will move together with our new cancer ambulatory care service to the Cancer Centre next year. Launched in May of this year ambulatory care is attracting a great deal of interest from patients, families and staff. A nurse led research forum was established (STEER – Service Transformation, Evaluation and Research) to run alongside the development of the new service, acting both as a steering group and a research forum. STEER sessions run every fortnight and are facilitated by Professor Sally Hardy from City University, who also acts as research supervisor. Our aim is to continuously learn from the feedback we receive from patients and staff so we can shape a service that truly meets patients’ aspirations. STEER has submitted a bid for research funding in the hope that our experience can shape cancer care for young people and inform future care nationally.
Email gabrielle.mroziewicz@uclh.nhs.uk for more information. |