"Nurse led medical oncology clinic"

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and following a mastectomy it was decided I should undergo a course of chemotherapy.

Following my 1st appointement with oncologist I was lucky enough to meet with nurse Lorna M. who works within the oncology service. She offered me the choice of attending the nurse led clinic on a 3 weekly basis rather than attending the busy oncology clinic every 3 weeks. I was reassured by the information that if anything of concern was found at nurse led clinic I would be able to be slotted into oncologist clinic the following day.

At the nurse led clinic I met with Lorna every time. as well as her colleague Lee Anne M.. I found the clinic setting to be friendly and relaxed and felt as if the nurses took time to get to know me and listen to me. The nurses were thorough in their questioning and investigating around any side effects or concerns I had. They were very knowledgable and able to answer any concerns as well as impart relevant information around treatment and symptom management. They were supported by a pharmacist colleague who was every bit as supportive with his knowledge and advice.

When undergoing my chemotherapy Lorna was available should there be any concerns( (finding a suitable vein was a common problem with me) Lorna managed every time and we would joke that she would need to cancel any A/L that conflicted with my treatment. She never seemed stressed or hassled and approached any extra demands with a sense of humour.

There was also an occassion recently when I felt unwell and following a phone call to the cancer treatment helpline (who spoke with Lorna as she knew me well), I was quickly offered an appointement at the medical day bed unit rather than having to go through casualty or await an appointment with GP. Again it was Lorna I met with. The fact that she already knew me and was aware of my treatment history allayed my anxiety and put me at ease. Again she was thorough in her investigations and as it turned out I required admission due to neutrapenia.

My chemotherapy has now come to an end.

I cant thank Lorna & Lee Anne enough for being there throughout with me. Their knowledge, professionalism and support has been fantastic. Attending the nurse led service helped make my cancer treatment bearable, It contributed to my feeling upbeat and positive and my care felt truly personalised.

Having given thought to any recommendations for change I can think of nothing that would improve on this service except perhaps the capacity to offer it to more people in the same situation as myself.