Our clinical services
Details on our clinical services including contact details for
doctors are as follows:
Patient treatment
Patients undergoing treatment at the oncology centre will be
kept under regular review. Many will have copies of clinic letters
for information but if for medical reasons you require further
details or advice concerning their case please contact us. For
urgent problems an on-call oncology registrar is available via the
hospital switchboard on 0117 923 0000. Otherwise the relevant
consultant secretary can be contacted, contact details under Clinical
Services above.
Chemotherapy is delivered in line with agreed network protocols.
These are available from the Avon Somerset Wiltshire Cancer Service website.
(Please note that as of July 2010, several protocols on this
website are not currently up-to-date).
Information on treatment-related side-effects and toxicities can
be found at http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatments.aspx
Treatment related toxicities
If your patient develops medical problems whilst on
chemotherapy, other anti-cancer medications, or soon after
radiotherapy, toxicities from treatment need to be considered.
Please contact on-call registrar or consultant managing the patient
if you have any queries.
Patients on chemotherapy are at high risk of developing
neutropenic sepsis, which is a medical emergency.
Should they become pyrexial or unwell they require urgent review
of the full blood count and medical assessment; neutropenic sepsis
is a potentially life-threatening condition if not managed promptly
according to a standard protocol. Patients are given written advice
and contact telephone numbers for the Oncology Centre. If they are
admitted to a hospital outside the Oncology Centre while receiving
treatment here, please inform the relevant oncology consultant
as soon as possible.
Symptoms may be vague, but early diagnosis will prevent death.If
you suspect your patient is at risk, contact the registrar on call
immediately through the switchboard on 0117 923 0000.
Advice is also available through BHOC Acute
Care
Malignant spinal cord compression
Malignant spinal cord compression is a rare condition occurring
when cancer cells grow in or near to the spine, and press on the
spinal cord and nerves leading to weakness and numbness.
Urgent referral and treatment should be arranged as soon as
possible to prevent permanent damage to the spinal cord, which can
result in irreversible paralysis. The earlier cord compression is
diagnosed, the better the chances of the treatment being effective.
There is NICE guidance on management of
this condition. Contact the registrar on-call via
switchboard.
