Cancer Services (GP information)

Introduction

The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Cancer Unit is part of the Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Luton STP Cancer Locality Group, within EOE Cancer Alliance. The Trust provides diagnostics, surgery (except for some specialist surgery which is undertaken at tertiary centres), chemotherapy (solid and haematological malignancies), access to clinical trials and on-going care.

Within Beds and Herts the Trust is the centre for specialist head and neck surgery, Watford Hospital is the lead for gynaecological and upper gastrointestinal surgery and Lister Hospital for urological surgery.

Oncology services are provided by consultant staff from Mount Vernon, taking part in multidisciplinary working and combined clinics with the Trust cancer teams. Mount Vernon Hospital Cancer Centre provides specialist care, including radiotherapy and complex chemotherapy.

The Luton and Dunstable Hospital offers services to patients with the following cancers:

  • Breast
  • CUP
  • Gynaecological
  • Haematological
  • Head & Neck
  • Head & Neck – Thyroid
  • Lower Gastrointestina
  • Lung
  • Paediatrics
  • Skin
  • Specialist Palliative Care
  • Upper Gastrointestinal – Oesophageal and Gastric
  • Upper Gastrointestinal – Pancreatic
  • Urological

The Luton and Dunstable Hospital Cancer Services also offer specialist palliative care services within the hospital and link closely with the respective community teams and hospices.

Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings for all tumour sites are held on a regular basis, mostly weekly, to discuss newly diagnosed or suspected cancer patients. Some MDT meetings participate in video-conferencing with other Trusts to encourage wider specialist discussion and input to the patient pathway.

Referral Process

For urgent referral of patients with suspected cancer under the two week wait rule:

Please refer patients using the 2ww referral proforma and send by Fax using the appropriate Cancer Bureau Fax Cover Sheet or through the Electronic Referral System (Choose and Book). The referral forms can be downloaded from our GP website:
(www.ldh.nhs.uk/gps-professionals/pathways-referral-guidance-for-gps/)

Faxes should be sent to either of the following numbers:

01582 497910 or 01582 497911

These faxes will be received by the Cancer Bureau based at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. For suspected lung cancer patients, a green form should be used for the patient to attend the Main X-Ray department at the L&D for CXR examination. Such patients should also be referred by Fax through the Cancer Bureau to be reviewed in the chest clinic within two weeks.

Procedures Provided

Additional cancer services provided by the Luton and Dunstable Hospital:

Chemotherapy Unit
Senior Sister: Nicky Brown

This nurse-led service operates from a purpose-built unit within the Macmillan Cancer Unit, providing eight chairs and two beds. The unit is open Monday – Friday 8.30 to 17.00. The team administers day case cytotoxic chemotherapy and supportive treatments to oncology and haematology patients. This team also provides advice and information for patients, carers, relatives, community nurses, and hospital staff.

Complementary Therapists
Trained volunteer therapists offer the following services: aromatherapy (back, full body, feet, leg and hand massage), reflexology, facials, Indian head massage. Referrals for therapies can be made via the appropriate healthcare professional. At present there are two sessions per week Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Lymphoedema Services
The clinic is primarily funded for lymphoedema secondary to cancer treatments and is based within the Macmillan Cancer Unit. Referrals are made from Healthcare Professionals, from the acute and primary care settings.

Information Services
There is a full supportive Care service in place with access to Macmillan Benefits Advice, Psychological Support, Cancer and Exercise programs and Health and Wellbeing sessions as part of the implementation of the Recovery Package for Cancer Survivors. The Macmillan Cancer Information Co-ordinator based within the Macmillan Cancer Unit aims to provide appropriate information and support for all those affected by cancer; this includes patients, their families, friends and carers. The service will strive to ensure that this information and support is responsive to the needs of its users both as groups and individuals. The service has a dedicated information/resource room for everyone affected by cancer to use, including hospital staff. Links and an outreach service into the local community are to be developed. Patients should be referred through the appropriate Clinical Nurse Specialists if Welfare Benefits or Psychology services are required.

Patient Support Groups
Breast: The Breast Cancer Support Group meets at the Breast Screening Centre, providing support and information on an informal basis. The programme includes informal sessions with regular speakers. It is open to all patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Upper GI
The Upper GI Support Group is for patients who have had surgery or radical chemo/radiotherapy and provides support for patients and their families focusing on their well-being post treatment, with support from fellow patients and families.

Head & Neck
This support groups meets on the first Tuesday of each month

Haematology/leukemia
There are plans to start this group later in the year.

Clinics

Breast Clinics
Symptomatic one-stop clinic/Follow up clinic/Nurse-led follow up clinic/Symptomatic assessment clinic/Combined surgical/oncology clinic

Lung Clinics
One Stop Clinic/Oncology clinic/Bronchoscopy sessions/Thoracic surgeon clinic

Colorectal Clinics
Surgical clinics/Gastroenterology clinics/Endoscopy sessions/Joint surgical/oncology clinics

Oesophageal and Gastric Clinics
Surgical clinics/Gastroenterology clinics/Endoscopy/Joint surgical/oncology clinics

Pancreatric Clinics
Joint HPB Clinic/Pancreatic Oncology Clinic

Gynaecological Clinics
Gynaecological clinics/Colposcopy clinics/Joint gynaecology/oncology clinics

Urological Clinics
Urology One Stop Clinics/Joint urology/oncology clinics/Nurse-led prostate cancer follow up

Haematological Clinics
Haematology clinic/Joint haematology/oncology clinic

Skin Clinics
Dermatology clinic/Parallel dermatology/oncology/Plastic surgery clinics

Head and Neck Clinics
ENT clinics/Oral & Maxillofacial Clinics/Joint Head & Neck Oncology Clinic/Voice clinic/Rapid access neck lump clinic

Specialist Thyroid Clinics
Thyroid/Thyroid One Stop clinic/Ultrasound

Brain
Prior to referring via the 2ww referral route please seek advice on Brain & CNS referrals by calling the Consultant neurologists. The Consultants can be contacted via the medical secretaries between 08.00-16.00 on: 01582 497175/ 718295/ 497240.

Paediatrics

CUP

Specialist Palliative Care Clinics
Community Macmillan Nursing Team and Palliative Care Clinic

The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Nurses can be contacted on 01582 497522. Messages are collected from the answerphone regularly throughout the day. For cases of an urgent nature, bleep 269, or 492.

Patient Information Leaflets

Clinicians - Consultants/Specialist Nurses

Luton & Dunstable University Hospital

Brain Clinics

Dr Paul Watts Clinical Director for Neurology and Neurophysiology; Consultant Neurologist

Breast Clinics

Frances Taffs Breast Cancer CNS
Mr Duraisamy Ravichandran MDT Lead - Breast Screening
Miss Ruth James Consultant Breast Surgeon
Miss Katharine Kirkpatrick 
Dr Anup Vinayan Consultant Oncologist
Jan Chalkley Cancer and Palliative Cancer Lead Nurse

CUP

Nick Farthing
Dr Nicholas Herodotou Palliative Medicine Consultant
Dr Anup Vinayan Consultant Oncologist

Colorectal Clinics

Shola Stoute Medical Secretary to Mr Gurjar, Miss Obichere and Mr Sagar
Ameena Shahid Colorectal Secretary to Mr Das, Mr Younis and Mr Gobara
Laura Ellaway Colorectal Secretary to Straight-to-Test Nurses and Miss Katherine Brown
Mr Jayesh Sagar Colorectal Consultant
Mr Partha Das Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Governance Lead for Colorectal Surgery
Mr Shashank Gurjar Colorectal and General Surgery Consultant
Sue McIntosh Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist
Mr Firas Younis MDT Lead - Colorectal
Miss Marion Obichere  Colorectal Consultant
Miss Katherine Brown Colorectal Consultant
Dr Suzannah Mawdsley

Gynaecological Clinics

Mr Owen Owens Consultant Gynaecologist
Mr Louay Louis Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Imelda Flanagan Clinical Nurse Specialist

Haematological Clinics

Dr Ching-Wai Cheung Haematology Consultant
Prisca Mundopa Clinical Nurse Specialist

Head & Neck Clinics

Mr Konstantinos Karavidas Consultant
Mr Mirza Consultant
Mr Andrew Camilleri Consultant
Dr Catherine Lemon Consultant Oncologist
Mr Prasad Kothari ENT Consultant
Carole Glover Clinical Nurse Specialist

Lung Clinics

Mr Madhankumar Kuppusamy Thoracic Surgeon
Leslie-Ann John
Dr Syed Tariq Respiratory Consultant
Dr Suzannah Mawdsley
Dr Parthipan Pillai Respiratory Consultant
Dr James Ramsay Respiratory Consultant
Dr Iain Southern MDT Lead - Respiratory

Oesophageal & Gastric Clinics

Mr Rashid Consultant
Mr Periyathambi Jambulingham MDT & SMDTM Lead
Dr Suzannah Mawdsley
Joselle Reyes-Zara Clinical Nurse Specialist
Wendy Shearsmith Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dr Matthew Johnson Consultant Gastroenterologist
Dr Elliot Tash Consultant Gastroenterologist
Dr Anthony Griffiths Consultant Gastroenterologist
Dr Steve Shieh Consultant Gastroenterologist
Dr Rui Gao Consultant Gastroenterologist

Paediatrics

Mr Gurprashad Consultant
Hayley Lodge Clinical Nurse Specialist

Pancreactic Clinics

Mr Gurprashad Consultant
Mr Qazi Pancreatic Consultant
Mr Douglas Whitelaw Consultant
Dr Toyin Lythe Haematology and Oncology Lead
Dr Suzannah Mawdsley
Joselle Reyes-Zara Clinical Nurse Specialist
Wendy Shearsmith Clinical Nurse Specialist

Skin Clinics

Mr Norbet Kang Consultant Dermatologist
Mr Mirza Consultant
Mr Andrew Camilleri Consultant
Dr Bernadette De Silva Consultant Dermatologist
Dawn Walker Macmillan Skin Cancer CNS
Dr Christina Vlachou Consultant Dermatologist

Specialist Palliative Care Clinics

Tania Perry Macmillan Palliative Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dr Nicholas Herodotou Palliative Medicine Consultant
Claire Bunday Macmillan Palliative Clinical Nurse Specialist
Jan Chalkley Cancer and Palliative Cancer Lead Nurse

Specialist Thyroid Clinics

Mr Duraisamy Ravichandran MDT Lead - Breast Screening
Dr Catherine Lemon Consultant Oncologist
Carole Glover Clinical Nurse Specialist

Urological Clinics

Laura Cooper Clinical Nurse Specialist
Mr Sanjeev Taneja Urologist
Mr Farooq Khan Urologist
Mr Barnaby Barrass Urologist
Mr Aza Mohammed Urologist
Mr Asher Alam Urologist
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