At the northern Gynaecological oncology Centre
based at the Queen elizabeth hospital, it was policy
for a CnS to be present at the initial consultation
with the surgical team to support patients requiring
major pelvic surgery. however, because of the
volume of patients, this did not always happen.
Patients were given contact details for a CnS and
advised to call if they had concerns before admission
for surgery. The CnS was not always involved at
diagnosis and so was unable to provide continuity
and co-ordination of care. This meant that the
CnS was often contacted for ‘crisis intervention’
or when a patient was admitted to hospital for
treatment, rather than being able to take a more
proactive approach.