Cancer Nurse Leader Award

The centre is one of five caring for people with primary bone cancer. Before the clinical nurse specialist post was created in 2005, patients with a sarcoma and their families had no support outside hospital appointments. Patients were cared for among general orthopaedic patients by nurses not trained in cancer care. Patients are now all cared for on one designated ward by staff trained in sarcoma and oncology.

The team has developed this service in many ways. It has a “one stop shop” for patients attending for the first time, at which they can have MRI/ultrasound scans and biopsies carried out. Patients are introduced to the CNS, and support started.

It won funding from Macmillan for a cancer support nurse, who started work in early 2009. This has greatly improved support for patients and families. Helen Stradling started nurse led preassessment and follow up for patients, which has been received well.

Patients’ comments include: “Nothing has been too much trouble. Helen has willingly gone the extra mile for my family,” and “I was very pleased with the nurse led follow up clinic and consider it more beneficial at this point.”

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