The Christie NHS FT Annual Report & Accounts 2019-20

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report & Accounts 2019-2020

Inpatient Services

Trust and initiate and provide expert care to ensure that critical care treatment is commenced as soon as a patient deteriorates and transfers patients to the oncology critical care unit. Oncology Assessment Unit (OAU) All unplanned admissions are routed through the oncology assessment unit (OAU). The demands placed on the OAU have increased dramatically over the past few years with changes in practice for admissions, wider ranges of treatments being given in an outpatient setting, more complex patient demographics and advances with exciting new treatments in R&D and surgery. In line with the Trust’s capital strategy plans are underway for the redevelopment of Oncology Assessment Unit and its relocation to the 4 th floor of Proton Beam Therapy Centre. The new Oncology Assessment Unit will comprise of 23 inpatient beds and 10 designated ambulatory assessment areas designed to support increasing numbers of patients who receive toxic treatments delivered in an outpatient setting as part of their oncology treatment plans. Additionally patients are presenting with complex geographical and demographics issues as a result of advances in innovative oncology treatments. The increase in side rooms is to support patients that require isolation as a result of their treatment and compromised immune systems. The aim of co-locating services to form the new Oncology Assessment Unit will allow patients to have rapid access to immediate specialist oncology acute or supportive care for any Christie patient presenting with problems due to their cancer, or cancer treatment. This will reduce the number of patients requiring inpatient beds and reduce the length of stay therefore create more capacity for the Trust to assess a greater number of patients who currently attend emergency services outwith the Trust who are acutely unwell as a result of their oncology treatment. It will also facilitate rapid access to supportive care ensuring

We deliver a comprehensive acute oncology inpatient service. Ambitious performance standards and new ways of delivering cancer care continue to increase acute patient episodes and the requirement to care for a more diverse set of cancer toxicities. We deliver an acute medicine service which has proved transformative in improving patient care across the Trust. Working in collaboration and continued partnership with an external NHS Foundation Trust under a service level agreement (SLA) has enabled enhanced level 3 critical care support, as well as the on-site provision of acute medical specialty input. The majority of our patients are ambulatory. However, patients with acute problems relating to their cancer or cancer treatment are admitted via the acute oncology management service (AOMS) to the oncology assessment unit (OAU) staffed by acute physicians, oncologists and acute oncology nurse practitioners. Acute Oncology Management services (AOMS) and metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) The acute oncology management service is a 24 hour telephone helpline service (Hotline) that is available to our patients, their carers and professionals for advice management on the side effects and complications of cancer treatments. Oncology Critical Care Unit (OCCU) The eight bedded mixed level 2 and level 3 critical care unit provides specialist support for nearly 700 admissions per year, following major surgery or patients suffering from complications of cancer or oncology treatment. OCCU continues to receive support from GM Critical care Network with successful achievement of Peer Review standards To support patients who become critically ill we have a dedicated Critical Care Outreach team who provide a 24 hour service to the

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