What does the service provide?
The Specialist Nurse is available to any patients undergoing investigations, interventions and treatment for head and neck cancers.
The service offers:
- Information about head and neck cancers, staging investigations, interventions and other treatments
- Assessment of patients and appropriate referral to other health care professionals
- Time to discuss problems, investigations and treatments
- Information about other supportive organisations
- Ongoing advice and support for patients, their families and carers
Names of Key workers
Kate Hindley - email: Kate.Hindley@nca.nhs.uk
Dawn Hulmes - email: Ann.Hulmes@nca.nhs.uk
How do I contact the Head & Neck Specialist Nurse?
If you are in the hospital, ask your nurse or doctor to contact the Specialist Nurse. If you are at home, you can contact the direct line 0161 206 3186/0161 206 8207 an answer machine service available 24 hours a day. The nurse will return your call, although this may not be the same day. Normal working days are Monday to Friday.
Name of associate Key Workers
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What is a Key worker?
This co-ordinating role is central to your journey in providing information, support and guidance to patients, relative and carers.
What do they do?
Your Key worker will work with you in the following ways:
- They will be your central point of contact
- They will assess your needs and ensure that you receive the care you need and that you are involved in decisions about your care as much as possible
- They will ensure that you are referred to and receive different services as needed
Who will be your Key worker?
In most cases it will be the Head and Neck Specialist Nurse. Sometimes there may not be a specialist available. In this situation another health care professional will be your Key worker, these include:
- Ward nurses
- Dietitian
- Speech and Language Therapist
- GP
- Palliative Care nurse
- Social worker
Multidisciplinary Team meeting
When you have a diagnosis of cancer, your care will probably be discussed at the multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting.
For most Salford patients this meeting is held weekly on a Thursday morning at the Peter Mount Building, Head and Neck Outpatients Dept, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, (Hathersage Road Entrance), Oxford Road, M13 9WL.
The multi-disciplinary teams bring together surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, specialist nurses, speech therapists, dieticians and any other health professionals that will be involved in your care.
Your case will be discussed at this meeting and an appropriate treatment plan decided on.
Depending on your type and stage of cancer any of the following treatments may be required:
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery
Or a combination of these treatments.
What happens next?
An appointment will be made for you to attend Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust on a Thursday morning. At this appointment the doctors and nurses will discuss your proposed treatment plan.
If you require surgery, your operation will be at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
If you require chemotherapy or radiotherapy this will be carried out at the The Christie Hospital, M20 4BX.
If you are at home or have finished your initial treatment, your GP will be your first point of contact and may allocate someone from the community team to be your Key worker.
You can contact:
Your consultant's secretary on the email or number provided on your clinic letter; or
- GP
- Emergency department
- NHS 111
- Oral Surgery Department reception 0161 206 4731
Speech Therapist
During your treatment you may be referred to a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT).
A Speech and Language specialist can advise you if you are experiencing swallowing difficulties such as difficulty chewing, food sticking in your mouth or throat, choking and a feeling of food going down the wrong way.
They will advise on the consistency of foods and drinks you should have to make swallowing safer/easier as well as exercises and techniques to help swallowing. The speech and language therapists will also advise you if you are having difficulties communicating.
They may provide advice and exercises on how to improve your voice.
Dietitians
During your treatment it is crucial that you maintain good nutrition. You may be referred to a dietician as they specialise in nutrition during treatment, to help aid your recovery.
What you can do to help
If you are a smoker, do something really positive for yourself and give up. There are services to help you stop smoking. If you are interested contact your Smoking Cessation Service on 0161 206 1779 or contact your GP surgery.
Reduce your alcohol intake to 3 units per day, maximum. If you need support to reduce your alcohol intake speak to your specialist nurse or contact the Alcohol Specialist Nursing Team 0161 206 4415 or contact Drink Line 0800 917 8282.
Useful contacts:
Salford cancer Macmillan Information & Support Centre
Salford Royal Hospital
0161 206 1455
Macmillan Cancer line - Freephone 0808 808 2020
www.macmillan.org.uk
Benefits
Enquiry line free phone - 0800 88 22 00
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
For benefit advice 0161 206 5621
Cancer Backup
Freephone 0808 800 1234
National association of laryngectomee clubs - 020 7730 8585
www.laryngectomy.org.uk
Changing Faces - 0845 4500 275
www.changingfaces.co.uk
The British Thyroid Foundation - 01423 709 707/01423 709 448
www.btf.thyroid.org
Being There
1.1 support and volunteer driver Services - 0845 123 2329
www.salford@beingthere.org.uk
Date of Review: February 2025
Date of Next Review: February 2027
Ref No: PI_SU_1248 (Salford)