Oncology/Clinical Haematology services

COVID-19 - Advice to Haematology Patients

Detailed advice on Corona virus (Covid 19) for haematology patients can be found in the following website link: https://bloodwise.org.uk/coronavirus

1. People with blood cancer may have a compromised immune system and therefore be at a higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus. Those at risk include people who:
   a. currently have any type of blood cancer, whether they are having active treatment or not;
   b. have had chemotherapy in the last 3 months;
   c. have had a transplant in the last 6 months;
   d. are on immunosuppression medication after a bone marrow transplant. 
2. All blood cancer patients should stay at home for 12 weeks. They should attend for hospital appointments as planned unless alternative arrangements are arranged by the hospital. 
3. Continue your current treatment until assessment in the haematology clinic at Noble’s or at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust (RLBUHT) or anywhere else, or by telephone consultation or communication by mails. 
4. Please inform the Haematology team if you have been advised by a medical practitioner to stop your treatment for blood cancer. 
5. Follow other general advice provided by the DHSC for the prevention of coronavirus infection such as good personal and hand hygiene, avoid touching face, coming in contact with anyone with suspected flu-like illness etc. 

Contact Details

Oncology Day Unit 
Tel: +44 1624 650063 

updated 25/3/2020

Dr V Balakrishnan, General Physician with an interest in Clinical Haematology leads the oncology and clinical haematology services and co-ordinates these services with input from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and the Haematology Department of The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Oncology

Most patients with suspected cancer are assessed by a Consultant at Noble's Hospital and then referred to a visiting Oncologist for further treatment once the diagnosis of cancer is confirmed.

There are four clinic sessions run by visiting medical and clinical oncologists from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (CCC) every Monday, alternate Tuesdays and alternate Thursdays. The Oncologist that the patient is referred to will depend on the type of cancer they have been diagnosed with and the treatment they are to receive, eg chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of both.

Most chemotherapy treatment can be administered locally in the Oncology Day Unit at Noble's Hospital by a team of experienced chemotherapy nurses led by a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oncology. They are supported by Specialist Oncology Pharmacists.

Further advice and support is available from the Triage team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. A telephone helpline is available for oncology patients 24 hrs per day, 365 days a year tel: 0800 169 5555.

Patients who require radiotherapy will have their treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, which is arranged and supervised by the visiting Oncologist.

Oncological emergencies are admitted to Noble's Hospital by the on call team and referred to the appropriate specialist depending on the clinical condition.

Patients with less common cancers, eg head and neck, testicular, ovarian and brain tumours are referred to specialist centres in the UK. Chemotherapy for some of these tumour types can be given locally at Noble's Hospital.

Patients with suspected clinical haematological problems are referred to Dr V Balakrishnan (VBK), a General Physician with an interest in Clinical Haematology, for assessment. After assessment in Dr VBK’s clinic at Noble’s, these patients are discussed with the specialist team at The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust (RLBUHT) at a weekly haematology multi-disciplinary (MDT) team meeting.  The Clinical Haematology Team at Noble’s consists of a Consultant (Dr V Balakrishnan), a Staff Grade Doctor and a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Core Team is supported by a Onco-pharmacist and Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist.

After discussion in the MDT meeting, patients are managed either locally with input from the team in RLBUHT or referred to the RLBUHT Haematology Outpatient Clinics for further assessment and treatment, depending upon the clinical condition. Most chemotherapy treatment for haematology patients can be administered locally in the Oncology Day Unit at Noble's Hospital by a team of experienced chemotherapy nurses led by a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oncology.

Acute haematological problems including acute leukaemia are admitted to Noble’s Hospital by the on call team and referred to the appropriate specialist at the RLBUHT.

Bone marrow biopsy is undertaken at Noble’s Oncology Day Unit once a week. Patients requiring bone marrow transplant are referred to RLBUHT.

A telephone helpline is available for haematology patients at Noble’s on 01624-650046 between 9-5 pm and patients should contact either Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) or attend the Emergency Department at Noble’s for out of hours, bank holidays and weekends.

Contact Details

Oncology Day Unit Tel: +44 1624 650063

Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist Tel: +44 1624 650162

Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist Tel: +44 1624 650046

Secretary: Tel:+44 1624 650144

Outpatient Appointments: +44 1624 650103

Email: hospital.nobles@gov.im