Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit (POSCU)


About Us

We have a well-established POSCU team providing inpatient and outpatient support for our children and young patients with cancer.  We provide care in conjunction with three Principle Treatment Centres (PTC), including The Royal Marsden Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and University College Hospital.  We provide initial assessment referral for diagnostic work up and once treatment is initiated we provide supportive care and day chemotherapy. We closely work with the PTCs and carry out monthly MDT meetings to discuss management of all our patients and 2 week cancer referrals.

As a POSCU we provide:

  • Paediatric Oncology Co-ordinator and Clinical Oncology Nurse Specialist who are a regular point of contact for oncology patients and their families, providing advice and support via telephone, email or face to face.
  • We provide open access for our Oncology patients to be reviewed on the day on Dolphin ward. Patients are provided with isolation rooms on their arrival and provision for quick assessment and symptoms management.
  • Our Specialist nursing team are skilled to provide intravenous Chemotherapy as a day case in conjunction with our Paediatric Pharmacist ensuring all Chemotherapy is adequately prescribed and available timely.
  • We provide supportive care including blood transfusions, platelet transfusion, and electrolyte imbalance and management of chemotherapy side effects.
  • We have inpatient isolation rooms for our oncology patients who require a long stay due to their illness. All inpatient oncology patients are reviewed daily by a consultant on ward round with a member of the POSCU team Monday – Friday.  The POSCU team provides support as required at all other times.
  • We have support from our excellent allied health professionals including Physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists and play specialists as part of our multidisciplinary team.
  • We closely work with Paediatric Outreach Nursing Team (PONT) and other local community nursing teams, optimising family centred and tailored care to the child’s needs, keeping children in the comfort of their home environment as much as possible.
  • We provide a unique support programme from a family support worker from our local charity, Momentum Children’s Charity. They can offer tailored practical and emotional help to the entire family, at home and in hospital.  We also have a Family Liaison Support nurse as an invaluable member of the team offering further emotional support.
  • We also have support from the hospital multidenominational chaplaincy team.

We have specialist trained staff in providing support for families where children may require palliative care.

Consultants

Dr Eleanor Donlevy

Dr Joanna Morris

Dr. Nadia Amber Hassan

Clinical Services


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Clinical Services


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