Adult and Paediatric Oncology

The aim of this service is to provide specialist psychological assessment and intervention for adults (over 18 years old) who are affected by a cancer diagnosis and who are either receiving treatment at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust or who are post-treatment and/or receiving palliative care. Outpatient appointments are held at either City Hospital or Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), or via telephone or videocall. This service is also available for inpatients at both City Hospital and QMC.

This service is only available for Upper Gastrointestinal (Upper GI), Head and Neck, and Teenager and Young Adult (TYA) cancer patients. This service is currently available until April 2022.

 

Referrals

Referrals can be made via the order system on Medway. Alternatively, completed referral forms can be emailed to cancer.psychology@nuh.nhs.uk. Any professional working with the Upper GI, Head and Neck, and TYA cancer MDTs can refer.

Referral criteria: diagnosis of Upper GI or Head and Neck cancer, or under the care of TYA team with a cancer diagnosis; aged 18 years or older;   experiencing psychological distress related to their cancer diagnosis and/or treatment.

Appropriate referrals may include requests for support with loss and adjustment issues related to a cancer diagnosis and/or treatment; feelings of anxiety, panic or depression arising from illness; psychological difficulties impacting on a person’s ability to engage in their cancer treatment; fear about or difficulty making decisions about medical procedures or cancer tretment. This list is not exhaustive. Please contact us via email (cancer.psychology@nuh.nhs.uk) if you are unsure about making a referral or would like to discuss a patient in more detail.

• Psychological Care for People with Cancer Referral Form.doc [doc] 75KB

Clinical Psychology in Paediatric Oncology is part of the East Midlands regional Children and Young Person’s Integrated Cancer Service (CYPICS). The aim of the service is to provide specialist psychological interventions for young people aged from 0 until their 19^th birthday, with a cancer diagnosis and who are either receiving treatment at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, or who are post treatment and/or are receiving palliative care.  Interventions may also be offered to the young person’s parents/family (on a case by case basis), but this will depend on capacity.  Common reasons for a referral (this is not an exhaustive list)  include: adjustment to the diagnosis, anxiety, anger, difficulty taking medication/s, low mood, changes in relationships, school/college worries, coping after treatment has finished and living with uncertainty. If a cancer diagnosis is recent, it is advised to allow for a period of adjustment before making a referral to clinical psychology.

Young people can be seen whilst they are an inpatient. Outpatient appointments will be held either via telephone, video call or face to face at QMC. Young people experiencing acute emotional and psychological distress will be prioritised. Inpatient referrals are made via Nervecentre and Outpatient referrals are made via the Medway order system.

Please contact Dr Amandeep Samrai via email (contact details are also provided in the service information leaflet) if you have a concern about a young person or family, or wish to discuss a possible referral in more detail.