Our Oncology and Haematology services
During your treatment, you will meet a wide variety of practitioners as part of your multi-disciplinary team
On this page
Your team
There is a large multi-disciplinary team (MDT) including Consultants, Doctors, Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Cancer Support Workers, Advanced Practitioners (in-patient and out-patient teams), Pharmacists, Radiographers, Dieticians, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Specialist Palliative Care and Enhanced Supportive Care Team and Volunteers.
They all work together to support you through your treatment.
Oncology consultants
If you have an oncological cancer, you will have one named consultant oncologist with overall responsibility for your treatment.
Haematology consultants
If you have a haematological cancer, your treatment will be managed by one or more consultant haematologists.
Clinic consultations/appointments
In some waiting areas, you will see whiteboards which will inform you if appointments are running to time or are delayed. These are kept updated and as accurate as possible.
Blood tests
During your course of treatment, you'll need regular blood tests to make sure that the treatment continues to be safe and appropriate for you.
There are different types of blood tests that can be used to check your general health, how you are responding to your treatment and assess any side effects you may experience.
Blood tests can be taken by a phlebotomist, doctor, nurse or healthcare assistant. Sometimes you may be asked to have your blood test taken at your GP’s surgery. In this case, you will be given a blood form to take to the surgery to make sure that the correct tests are taken
You're likely to require a blood test 3 to 7 days before your next treatment is due. Exactly when this will be depends on the type of treatment you are having. You will be informed by your team and given a blood form.
If your blood results are not within the normal range, they may need repeating before your treatment can proceed.
Oncology patients: all blood tests must be pre-booked
Blood test appointments are available at the Oncology Centre, CGH - Monday to Saturday, including bank holidays, unless stated otherwise at the time.
If you have a line in situ, you must pre-book your blood tests. See the longer-term line/central line section for more information
Haematology patients: blood tests do not need to be pre-booked
Please attend a walk-in service at either:
- The Edward Jenner Unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
- West Block Outpatients at Cheltenham General Hospital
These departments are open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4.30pm but are closed on weekends and bank holidays. Please remember to take your blood form with you.
If you have a line in situ, you must pre-book your blood tests. See the longer-term line/central line section for more information.
Alternatively, you could try to make a blood test appointment at your GP practice. For more information about blood tests, please visit: the Macmillan website
MRSA swabs
You will have routine swabs taken to test for MRSA:
- Before you start your course of treatment (depending on the type of treatment)
- If you are admitted to an in-patient ward
- Port-a-cath insertion
- Procedure and care of a Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheter (PICC)
For more information about MRSA, please see our patient information leaflet
Next section
The next section you should read is: About cancer and the drugs to treat it