Cancer Patients
We recognise that this is a difficult and uncertain time for everyone but particularly for patients with a cancer diagnosis and those around them.
The Cancer Team want to ensure our patients are as well informed as possible to help alleviate some of the anxiety you may be feeling at this time. Whilst we will endeavour to deal with all individual enquiries as quickly as possible, we hope answers to the most frequently asked questions will prove helpful. To view the FAQ, please click HERE.
A message from Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance
Cancer care in Kent and Medway
Cancer services remain a priority for the NHS in Kent and Medway and are continuing as far as possible, despite the unprecedented challenges the NHS is currently facing from Covid-19.
Patients should be reassured that cancer surgery is not routinely being postponed and it is safe for you to come into hospitals for urgent tests, procedures and operations when you are given an appointment. Please attend your appointment, unless you are advised by your care provider not to. If you have symptoms of Covid-19 on the day of your appointment, please discuss this with your clinician.
Unfortunately a small number of cancer operations have had to be postponed due to a large increase of patients being admitted into hospital and exceptional demands placed on the staff. We are working extremely hard to keep any future postponements to a minimum.
We understand that this may be a worrying time for patients, but decisions are taken on a case by case basis and patients needing urgent surgery will be prioritised. All patients are being kept under close review by senior doctors and should make contact with their doctor or nurse if their symptoms worsen.
The public can do their bit to help to reduce the spread of transmission of Covid-19 by observing social distancing and the hands, face, space advice, which will save lives and reduce demand on the NHS.
The ambition of the cancer services team is to deliver current and high quality services for all patients and their families affected by cancer. Cancer services aims to support you through providing holistic multi-disciplinary care starting at the point of referral, continuing throughout the cancer journey. All service developments are led by professionals and users working together with patient involvement to ensure services benefit the locality as a whole and keep the patient at the heart of any innovation.
Your Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) will be your key point of contact for any concerns you may have. They will initiate a Holistic Needs Assessment with you, enabling them to support and if necessary signpost or refer you to other multi-disciplinary members or agencies to ensure your holistic care needs are being met at this difficult time.
We are very aware with earlier diagnosis and new innovative treatments that more people are living with and beyond cancer which is great, and we aim to provide the support and education the individual requires empowering them to self-manage with the safe knowledge of who to contact if there are any concerns.