What is the Difference Between a Cancer Unit and Other Wards?

A cancer unit is a ward dedicated solely to the care of cancer patients. Here nurses and doctors who have chosen to specialise in the care and treatment of cancer give patients the most up to date care.

Most cancer units are keen to ensure that you maintain your identity and privacy whilst in hospital.  Wearing your own clothes and bringing personal belongings in with you such as MP3, game boy, lap top etc. can be very useful as time does tend to drag when you are confined to hospital. A good way of passing time is to take up a hobby, indeed many young patients use this time to paint, watch videos, sew, do handicraft, make models or even keep journals. 

Who Did You Say You Were? ( A Who's Who )

Life will be a lot easier if you know Who is who. Click on a name below to find out more.

Consultants

• Consultant Medical Oncologist
  This is the doctor in charge of chemotherapy treatment.
• Consultant Haematologist
  This is the doctor in charge of treatments involving cancers of the blood such as Leukaemia.
• Consultant Surgical Oncologist
  The doctor in charge of any surgical operations.
• Consultant Radiation Oncologist
  The doctor in charge of radiotherapy treatment.

Support Doctors

• Palliative Medical Consultant
  A very senior doctor who has a special interest in controlling cancer symptoms. He/she gives advice at any point of illness, and heads a team of Macmillan nurses. These nurses and doctors will help you to control the symptoms, thereby ensuring that you have the best quality of life as possible.
• Ward Manager (the one to be obeyed!)
  A senior nurse who has specialised in the care of cancer patients. He/she leads the nursing teams and is responsible for the overall management of the unit. He/she acts as a resource to other nurses with differing levels of expertise. (Auxiliary nurse, student nurse, staff nurse, specialist nurse, research nurse).
• Multi-disciplinary Team
  This just means that a number of health care professionals work together to enhance the quality of care for cancer patients. As well as specialist doctors and nurses this team include social workers, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, clinical psychologists, cancer counsellors and clergy.

These Cancer Consultants are very experienced doctors, who have spent many years specialising in the field of cancer.

The Consultant heads the medical team which comprises of doctors at differing levels of expertise. (House officer, Senior house officer, Registrar).

All members are available to you to be used when and if you feel it appropriate