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You can ask to speak to the nurse in charge or your doctor, or
get in touch with our PALS team:
Available at both Queen’s and King George Hospitals 8.30am5.30pm
Email: PALS@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
Queen’s: 01708 435454
King George Hospital: 0208 970 8234
24 hour answer phone 0800 389 8324
Haematology/Oncology
Outpatient Guide.
Queen’s Hospital
Romford
sub-title
Did you know if you have been diagnosed with cancer you are
entitled to free prescriptions?
Ask for a medical exemption certificate and get GP or hospital
doctor to sign it- certificate is valid for 5 years.
Date:June 2014
Review date: June 2016
This information is available in alternative formats. For
more information, please ask a member of staff or ask to
speak to the PALS office.
Introduction
Welcome to the Haematology/Oncology outpatients department.
This leaflet has been designed to help you understand the
department and what you can expect of us as a team.
Hospital transport is available for those who need it.
Your GP will be able to arrange transport for your first
appointment if you are unable to come via public transport and
have no one to bring you. We will be able to arrange further
transport if you fulfil the correct medical criteria.
How to get to the hospital.
What to bring with you
Buses 365,128,175,193 and 496 ,498,499,898 all call into the
hospital grounds. The hospital is about a 15 minute walk or 5
minute bus ride from Romford mainline railway station.
If coming via public transport please be aware that the
department is at the far end of the hospital and it is a quite a
distance to walk. Please ask at the information desk in the main
atrium if you require a porter to assist you in a wheelchair.
It may be useful for you to bring a family member or friend with
you, but no more than 2 will be able to come into the room with
you due to the size of the rooms.
Before you leave home please check you have the following:

If coming via taxi, please ask to be dropped off at the Oncology
department entrance.
Car Park
We have our own car parking facilities located at the rear of the
hospital (next to A&E). The car park is only operational MondayFriday and is locked during weekends and bank holidays. Please
follow signs for the Haematology/Oncology car park from the
front of the hospital.

On entering you will be asked by security which department you
are attending- the barrier will then be lifted and you can park your
car. Once you have finished your visit to the hospital, you need to
return to the car park machine (outside the reception) press the
third button, pay £2.00 and be issued with an exit ticket. We do
not keep any change for the ticket machine. Blue badge holders
are not exempt from car park charges.
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Your appointment letter and any information that we have
sent you.
All of the medicines that you are currently taking or using
including both prescription and over the counter
medicines.
Information about any change in your personal details
including address or GP
A list of questions you would like to ask during your
appointment.
Any samples requested by the hospital or had any blood
tests requested prior to appointment.
Money to pay for using the car park.
Where is the Haematology/Oncology outpatient department?
The outpatient department is found within the
Haematology/Oncology department. This is in the orange zone,
ground floor of Queen’s Hospital.
It is comprised of:
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Main reception
Outpatients’ clinics - this is the area where the
clinics are held. It is open Monday - Friday 9.00am 5.00pm
Radiotherapy department - this is the department
which delivers radiotherapy. It is open Monday Friday 8.45am - 5.00pm
Sunflower Suite(Chemotherapy day unit) - this is
the department where patients receive
chemotherapy, blood transfusions and other
supportive care. It is open Monday- Friday 9.00am 7.00pm.
Georgia Cordery Therapy room - This is the
complementary therapy room. It is open Monday to
Friday.
Phlebotomy (blood tests) Blood tests are available
Monday- Friday 9.00am-12.30 pm. It is closed on the
last Wednesday of every month.
Macmillan Cancer Information Centre - This is
where you can access information, leaflets and
booklets about your illness. It is open 9.00 am 5.00pm Monday - Friday.
The Haematology/Oncology inpatient ward is Mandarin B ward.
This is located on the third floor via the orange lifts.
There are hot/cold drinks and snack machines located in the
main reception of the department.
All waiting rooms have drinking water fountains. There are toilets
and baby changing facilities situated in all areas. The restaurant
and coffee shop can be found in the main atrium of the hospital.
Who will you meet?
The Haematology and Oncology teams are multi-disciplinary
teams who work together to provide your care.
The following descriptions will explain briefly what each part of
the team does and how we work together.
Oncology Consultants: these are Consultants who specialise in
the care of patients with cancer. They prescribe chemotherapy,
radiotherapy, other drug related treatments and will monitor your
illness and progress.
Haematology Consultants: these are Consultants who
specialise in the care of patients who have an illness/disorder of
the blood and bone marrow. They also prescribe chemotherapy,
other drug related treatments and will monitor your illness and
progress.
They each have a team of registrars and senior house officers
working with them. Your consultant has overall responsibility
for your care; however you will not always be seen by them
but by any of the doctors in the consultant’s team.
The registrars regularly move around the department and to
other hospitals within London and Essex to ensure they receive a
broad training. You may therefore see several different registrars
during your visits to the department.
Outpatient nurses: these are nurses who are based in the
outpatient clinics with knowledge of your illness and the
treatment which is offered within this department. They are
available to support and care for you and your carers. They can
be contacted on 01708 503191 Monday - Friday 8.30am 5.00pm.
Chemotherapy nurses: these are nurses who are specially
trained to deliver chemotherapy and are based within the
Sunflower suite. They have specialised knowledge about
chemotherapy and its side effects and will be able to support you
and your carers. They can be contacted on 01708 435285.
Health care support workers (HCA): these are a group of staff
who work in the outpatient clinics and day unit alongside the
nurses who are able to help and support you.
Therapeutic Radiographers: these are staff who are specially
trained to deliver radiotherapy. They have specialised knowledge
about radiotherapy and its effect.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): we have specialist nurses in:
 Brain and CNS cancers
 Breast cancer
 Bowel cancer
 Upper Gastro-Intestinal cancer
 Gynaecological cancers
 Haematology
 Head and Neck cancers
 Lung cancer
 Renal and urology cancers
 Skin cancer
 Sickle Cell Disease
 Unknown Primary
You may well have been allocated to a CNS already and will
have their contact details. If not please enquire when you come
to your first appointment.
Students: we may have student doctors, nurses and
radiographers in the department. We appreciate your support as
we are training them BUT if at any point you do not wish for a
student to be present for any reason please do say so. This wish
will be respected and it will not affect your treatment.
Receptionists: who will book your next outpatient follow up
appointment and who you can contact if you need to re-arrange
an appointment. They can be contacted on 01708 503173
Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm. An answer phone is switched
on during busy times and is frequently checked. If you leave a
message your call will be returned to you the same day unless it
is after 5pm.We also have an email address which can be used
for changing outpatient appointments:
HaemOncOutpatQH@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
Macmillan Cancer Information officer: based in the Macmillan
Cancer Information Centre. She and trained volunteers, are able
to provide literature on all aspects of living with cancer, the
opportunity to discuss treatments, side effects and other cancer
related issues, the opportunity to talk to someone confidentially
and over the phone information and support for those not able to
access the service in person. We also have information about
local support groups. A wig ordering service is available via the
information officer and we have a supply of headscarves and
bandanas for sale. The information officer can be contacted on
01708 435174
For more information about your condition you may wish to look
at www.nhs.co.uk/ips this is the Information Prescription Service
available on the NHS Choices website.
Macmillan Advice Project: aims to help patients their families
and carers financially by offering welfare benefits and debt
advice. Please phone 0208 514 1359 or ask one of the outpatient
nurses or Macmillan Cancer Information Officer. A benefits officer
visits the department on Wednesday mornings and Friday
afternoons.
Counsellors/Psychotherapists: we have a team of highly
trained psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors who are
available to help you if you have any emotional issues. Ask your
Doctor or one of the nurses if you would like to be referred to
them. Please see separate information leaflet available for more
information.
Complementary therapy: we are able to offer a variety of
complementary therapies to patients and their carers. These
include; aromatherapy, reflexology, indian head massage, gentle
massage for cancer. If wish to book a therapy please see
separate information leaflets which are in the department.
Clinical trials team: As part of your treatment you may be asked
to take part in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies
involving patients which compare a different type of medical care
with the best treatment or treatments currently available.
Clinical trials are carefully designed to minimise the risks and
maximise the benefits to all the people who take part regardless
of which treatment they get. You may decide you do not want to
take part in a clinical trial. This is fine and you will still receive the
best treatment for your illness.
Before you take part in a trial one of the nurses from the clinical
trials team will carefully explain to you about what is involved.
You will be given time to think about entering the trial. Once you
have agreed to the trial you will be asked sign a consent form.
The clinical trials team will be able to answer any questions you
may have and will be there to support you through the trial. You
can withdraw from the trial at any time and this will not affect your
treatment.
Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team: This team provides
an advisory role for patients with advanced and or progressive
life limiting illnesses who are experiencing difficulties associated
with their illness. You can be referred to this team for: symptom
control, emotional support, financial support or assessment for
hospice/community support.
What to expect on your first visit
Please check in at the main reception desk (Reception desk 1).
You will be asked to take a seat in the main waiting room and
wait until your name is called. When your name is called, you will
be met by one of our nurses or HCA’s who will bring you around
to the clinic rooms and weigh you. Please let them know if you
have any concerns about your visit to the department.
You will then be seen by a doctor who will discuss your medical
history with you and the reason for your visit to the department.
They will discuss your illness and any proposed treatment. They
may also examine you. As stated before, this may not be the
consultant but may be a registrar. If it is a registrar who has seen
you, they will then introduce you to the consultant who is in
charge of your care.
We will provide written information about any proposed treatment
for you to take home.
Do please feel free to ask any questions you have or ask for any
clarification about anything that is confusing you. It may be
helpful to think of questions before your visit and bring them
written down with you.
Letters
Many patients appreciate getting copies of the letters which are
sent to the GP about their appointment. It can be hard to
remember everything that was said at the time and means you
can see what information is being communicated about you and
your illness.
It is a national recommendation that you are offered copies of
your clinic letters for your own records/ information
Some people prefer not to receive such letters.
If you prefer not to receive the letters, please tell the doctor you
are seeing so this can be documented.
Some of the things in your letter may be difficult to understand,
talk to your clinical nurse specialist, Macmillan Cancer
Information Officer, district nurse, GP or hospital doctor as
necessary.

Haemoglobin (red cells) these are the cells which carry
oxygen around the body.
 Neutrophils (white cells) these are cells which fight
infection
 Platelets- these are the cells which are responsible for
clotting of blood
Other blood tests can be done to look at different chemicals in
your blood and test your kidney and liver functions. Some
tumours produce chemicals and a blood test can be done to look
at the level of these. This can help the doctor know how well
treatment is working or help monitor your illness. Not all tumours
produce these chemicals.
Waiting times.
We try to ensure that you do not have to wait for long periods
before being seen by a doctor. However due to unforeseen
events delays sometimes occur. We will endeavour to inform you
of any delays and an estimated length of time. Priority is given to
those who are very sick or travelling via hospital transport.
If you are delayed arriving at the hospital please contact us: if
you are more than 30 minutes late and have not contacted us
you may not be seen.
You may be delayed if you have been asked to have a blood test
or X-ray before seeing the doctor.
Some Common investigations.
Sometimes you will be sent for investigations. The list included
here describes the most common ones. Please ask if you require
more information or if the investigation/test you need is not listed.
Blood tests
Full blood count - this checks the levels of different cells in the
blood
X-Ray
These are painless tests where x-rays are used to form an image
on a screen.
CT scan
This is a specialised form of x-ray which produces a
cross-sectional picture of your body. You may be asked to
swallow some liquid or to have an injection prior to this test this
allows us to see your internal organs better.
MRI Scan
This is similar to a CT scan but it measures the energy different
cells produce when they rotate. It is painless but very nosiy.the
machine is very enclosed so if you suffer from claustrophobia
please let us know, so that we can help you.
P.E.T scan
This is a specialised type of scan .It helps to tell whether tissue is
active or inactive and can supplement the information provided
by other x-rays or scans. It will be done at another hospital.
Bone scan
This is done in the Nuclear Medicine department. It involves
having an injection of a small amount of radiation which
distributes itself around your body over the next three or four
hours. A scan is then performed using a gamma camera. You will
not feel unwell.
Bone Marrow biopsies
This is a minor procedure performed by the registrar or clinical
nurse specialist in the Sunflower suite. A local anaesthetic is
injected into the back of the hip area and a sample of bone
marrow is taken. You need to rest for a few minutes, putting
pressure on your back
Further appointments
When you have finished seeing the doctor, he/she will give you a
form to return to the reception desk. When you hand this into the
reception desk the receptionist will make you your next
appointment and you will be given an appointment card. If the
receptionist is not available a box will be left on the reception
desk- please leave your form in this box and the appointment will
be sent to you in the post.
We will endeavour to accommodate your request for
appointments but this may not always be possible- clinics are
booked in time order.
If you have any queries concerning an appointment or would like
to change an appointment please telephone us on 01708 503173
Monday- Friday 8.30am-5.00pm.
Or email us on: HaemOncOutpatQH@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
If you are unable to attend an appointment or are an
inpatient, can you please inform us as soon as possible so
we are able to offer this appointment to another patient.
Main hospital switchboard
Reception
Appointments
Outpatient nurses
Radiotherapy reception
Chemotherapy day unit
Macmillan Information centre
Complementary therapies
Macmillan advice project
Matron
Oncology consultants
Dr Ball secretary
Dr Beaton secretary
Dr Bridgewater secretary
Dr Gershuny secretary
Dr Gibbs secretary
Dr Quigley secretary
Dr Raouf secretary
Dr Shamash secretary
Dr Sims secretary
Dr Staples secretary
Dr Tarver
Haematology consultants
Dr Brownell secretary
Dr Grant secretary
Dr Hemmaway secretary
Dr Krishnan secretary
Dr Mohan
Dr Saja secretary
Dr Stevens secretary
01708 435000
01708 503173
01708 503173
01708 503191
01708 435474
01708 435285
01708 435174
01708 504208
0208 514 1359
01708 435000 ext 6839
Ext 3438
Ext 2879
Ext 3438
Ext 3438
Ext 3429
Ext 2875
Ext 2879
Ext 3440
Ext 3429
Ext 2875
Ext 3440
Ext 3436
Ext 3437
Ext 3436
Ext 3434
Ext 3434
Ext 3437
Ext 3434