Skin Cancer Service

Skin Cancer Service Information for patients Introduction This set of information leaflets is designed to provide you and your family with information about skin cancer and its treatment. At each stage of your treatment the relevant information will be added to your set.

There are blank pages included for you to write down any questions you have. Any member of the skin cancer team will be happy to answer them for you either at your clinic appointment or over the telephone.

There is a space for any member of the skin cancer team to write down comments or changes to your treatment so you have an up to date record of your planned care.

We would appreciate any comments you have regarding this information and how beneficial it has been to you.

Your personal details Name:

Telephone number:

Address:

Date of birth:

Your GP’s name and address:

GP’s telephone number:

Consultant’s name:

Key worker:

1 Your hospital number:

Hospital address: Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske Truro Cornwall TR1 3LJ Tel: 01872 250000

The Skin Cancer Team The Royal Cornwall Hospital Skin Cancer Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) has a large team of specialists dedicated to providing first class care to patients with skin cancer. The team includes:

Consultant Dermatologists Secretary Number Dr Samantha Hann 01872 252308 Dr Preshita Divekar 01872 252123 Dr Alexander Anderson (Associate Specialist) 01872 253253

Consultant Head and Neck Surgeons Miss Zarina Shaikh 01872 253984 Mr Amith Pinto 01872 253986

Consultant General Surgeon Ms Polly King 01872 253870

Consultant Oncologist Dr Toby Talbot 01872 258314 Dr Grant Stewart 01872 258303

Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist Sarah Carswell 01872 252859 Lisa Tripp 01872 252859

2 Consultant Histopathologist Dr Mihai Chifu 01872 252550 Dr Rob Jenkins 01872 252550

Consultant Radiologist Dr Rosie Gray 01872 252285

The team meet weekly, every Wednesday afternoon, to agree individual treatment plans. Following the meeting, you will be seen in the clinic by your consultant / nurse specialist where your treatment plan will be discussed with you and your family. A copy of your treatment plan will be sent to your GP.

Skin Cancer Nursing Service Our Skin Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists are part of the multi-disciplinary team working towards improving the quality of care for people with skin cancer.

As nurse specialists, they are available to: • help co-ordinate your care • be a familiar face who can provide support for you and your family • provide information on tests, investigations and treatment options • offer support and advice on symptom control • provide a link to other professionals and support services.

Sarah and Lisa can be contacted: Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm Tel: 01872 252859 Mobile: 07990567768 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

3 Your Treatment Plan If you would like written details of your management plan please contact your Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist / Key worker.

Your Key Worker You will be offered a named key worker who will be responsible for co-ordinating your care. The whole team can be contacted via your key worker. To find out who your key worker is or for any other information about your care, please contact your clinical nurse specialist.

Your Treatment Plan Your suggested treatment plan is:

Test results

4 Contact details Royal Cornwall Hospital: • Cancer services department Tel: 01872 253282 • Cornwall Cancer User Group Tel: 01872 25364 • Patient advice and liaison service (PALS) Tel: 01872 252793 • General information The General Office Trelawney Wing Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro Tel: 01872 253545

Local contacts • Look Good, Feel Better A free programme of beauty workshops, running in over 40 hospitals in the UK. Local workshops are available at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and St Michael’s Hospital, Hayle. Workshops are designed to help you deal with the visible side effects of treatment and show you how to develop your make-up skills. Tel: 01872 258364 Email: [email protected] www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk

• Melanoma Awareness Project A Cornish initiative. The aim of this project is to increase public awareness of melanoma. It provides useful links for advice on skin cancer and discussion forums. www.melanomaproject.co.uk

5 • Fal Cancer Support Group For anyone who has been touched by cancer, whether supporting someone or directly affected by any cancer. www.fal.cancersupport.org.uk Tel. 07530471432

• Cornwall melanoma and rare skin cancers support group This is a closed group for anyone affected by melanoma, merkel cell carcinoma or any other rare skin cancer. Provides support and advice to people directly affected by melanoma and their friends and family. Regular meetings providing advice and information and opportunity for support. Local coffee group meetings. Facebook page – Cornwall Melanoma Support group [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/groups/RCHTmmsupportgroup/ For more information, contact your clinical nurse specialist via phone or email.

• Penhaligan’s Friends Provides support and advice for children and carers dealing with bereavement in Cornwall. Resources and training available. Penhaligan’s Friends The Chambers Penryn St Redruth Cornwall TR15 2SP Tel: 01209 215889 www.penhaligansfriends.org.uk [email protected]

6 • Mount Edgcumbe Hospice Cornwall Hospice care, offers massage, aromatherapy, relaxation therapy, counselling and lymphoedema support. Porthpean Rd St Austell Cornwall PL26 6AB Tel: 01726 65711 Email: [email protected]

• Made for Life foundation Made for life is based in the Health and Wellbeing Centre at Treliske, Truro. They provide support for people diagnosed and recovering with cancer. They organise days filled with integrative holistic treatments including meditation, outdoor activities, nutritional advice, art therapy, reiki, massage and a time to meet and share with others. Email: [email protected] Tel: 01326 221777

National and Regional contacts • Macmillan Cancer Support – contact cancer nurses for support and information, produce an extensive range of booklets and fact sheets on all aspects of cancer, available free to patients. Tel: 0808 808 0000 or www.macmillan.org.uk

• Macmillan Cancer Support Fund – is a UK-wide charity, which supports people living with cancer. Macmillan cancer relief will provide grants for people with cancer in financial need. Your skin cancer specialist nurse can apply for grants to the fund on your behalf.

• Cancer Research UK – a national information service for all types of cancer. Telephone 0808 800 4040 or www.cancerhelp.org.uk and Sunsmart, for advice and information on skin cancer. www.sunsmart.org.uk

7 • CLIC – Cancer and Leukemia in Childhood – Support for children and families affected by childhood cancer. Tel: 0300 330 0803 Also on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. www.clicsargent.org.uk

• The British Association of Skin Camouflage – members are trained by the association in all aspects of remedial camouflage. Can help with many conditions including operation scars, pigmentation problems etc. Tel: 01625 871129 www.skin-camouflage.net

• Changing Faces – for people with scars or other disfiguring skin conditions, skin camouflage can offer a simple route to improved confidence and independence. Trained volunteers can teach individuals how to self apply specialist cover creams. Your specialist nurse can refer you for a free consultation. www.changingfaces.org.uk

• Skin camouflage service Tel: 03000120276 email: [email protected]

• British Complementary Medical Association Tel. 01242 519911 www.bcma.co.uk, also on facebook

Support Groups and Charities • Changing Faces support service helpline Tel: 0300 012 0275 Email: [email protected]

8 • Gorlin Syndrome Group www.gorlingroup.org Tel. 01772 496849

• Skin cancer and Melanoma Support group through the Macmillan community page. http://community.macmillan.org.uk

• Melanomamates – on Facebook (closed group)

• Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma research fund www.melanoma-fund.co.uk (also on Facebook) provides support, advice and updates on melanoma.

• Skcin – sun safety and skin cancer www.skcin.org

• Melanoma UK www.melanomauk.org.uk Also on Facebook and Twitter.

• Teenage Cancer Trust www.teenagecancertrust.org Also on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.

• The Lymphoedema Support Network A support network that can provide useful information, advice and support for people affected by lymphoedema. Tel: 020 73514480 www.lymphoedema.org

• Citizen’s Advice Bureau –Your phone book will have the number for your local office.

• Southwest Public Health Observatory www.swpho.nhs.uk 9 • The Mustard Tree Macmillan Centre Offer people affected by cancer access to good quality, comprehensive and appropriate information and support. The Centre is based on Level 3, Derriford Hospital. Opening times are Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays). Drop in or telephone on 01752 763672.

• The Triangle Centres For cancer support and information for patients, their families and carers. The Centres, staffed by professionals and trained volunteers, provide a friendly and welcoming environment where you can share your concerns, ask questions and receive support and information.

Cornwall patients can access the Liskeard centre. Liskeard Community Hospital Thursday 9.30am - 4.30pm Tel: 01579 335600 Ext 5628

• FORCE A local charity that supports local cancer research and treatment. It offers a support and information service for people who have been affected by cancer in the west country. Also includes counselling and complementary therapies. Tel: 01392 402086 www.forcecancercharity.co.uk

Other websites / helpful links • www.bad.org.uk • www.canceractive.com • www.doh.gov.uk • www.occumel.org • www.genomel.org

10 Help with Finance Help with travel costs for patients Patients in receipt of the following can claim for help with travel expenses: • Pension credit (guaranteed credit) • Income support • Income based job seeker’s allowance • Working tax credit in certain cases • Child tax credit in certain cases • Patients on a low income who have been issued with a HC2 or HC3 form • Patients who are on a low income but are unable to produce the above should complete a HC1 or HC5 form and send it to the health benefits division in the envelope provided with the form • War pensions (claim direct from War Office) • Asylum seekers.

Help with travel costs for carers Carers can claim back travel cost from the DWP social fund if the patient is in receipt of: • Pension credit • Income support • Income based job seeker allowance.

Other funding for travel costs You may be eligible for assistance via other charitable funding such as Macmillan grants or local cancer charities. You can speak to our benefits advisor to check your entitlement.

Benefits advisor We appreciate that during times of prolonged treatment a person’s financial position can alter radically. If you are not sure whether you are entitled to a benefit, or need help and advice, why not make a confidential appointment or drop in to see one of our benefits/ CAB advisor who are now based at the Sunrise Centre. 11 The benefits advisor can help with: • prescription charges • work and cancer • general benefits for those who are sick or are caring • travel costs for patients and their carers • Macmillan grants • Plymouth and Cornwall Cancer Fund • Patient Voluntary Welfare Fund.

Please ring 01872 258364 to arrange an appointment. Drop in sessions are on Monday and Tuesday – Monday in the Haematology Outpatients department and Tuesday in the Sunrise Centre.

Alternatively speak to your clinical nurse specialist who can arrange an appointment for you.

How do I find out more information? Advice and useful links can also be obtained from: • www.bemacmillan.org.uk or from the Macmillan helpline on freefone 0808 808 0000 • Benefit Enquiry Line – for help and advice on claiming benefit entitlements. Tel: 0800 882200

Car Parking and Transport Car parking Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has a number of car parks at the hospital with dedicated spaces for disabled drivers.

At Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, you will need to ‘pay on foot’. A ticket is issued as you enter the car park. At the end of your visit, you will need to place your ticket in one of the payment machines found in the car park areas. The machine will show the amount that is due.

12 Parking Charges: 0-2 Hours £2.50 2-4 Hours £4.90 4-6 Hours £7.40 6-24 Hours £12.40

If you are a regular visitor to any of our hospitals, you may purchase a 5 day, 7 day or monthly concessionary permit. At Royal Cornwall Hospital you will need to obtain a QPark concessionary letter from the ward (completed by the staff). Take this to the QPark office in the car park where they will issue you with an appropriate ticket.

Pay Cards 5 Days £16.20 7 Days £23.18 Monthly £37.05

At St Michael’s and West Cornwall Hospitals you will need to pay and display. You may purchase a CP Plus concessionary permit from the General Office at either site.

Public Transport The Royal Cornwall Hospital is well served by buses from Truro and the surrounding area. It is a short bus/ taxi journey from Truro railway station. For information on timetables and fares contact:

Traveline – 0871 200 22 33 http://www.traveline.org.uk

Park and Ride There is a Park and Ride facility at Threemilestone (on the A390 approach from Chiverton Cross). The service is free if you are over 60 years old. The park and ride buses stop regularly at the hospital. This service runs from 7am to 8.20pm Mondays to Saturdays (there is no park and ride facility on Sundays or bank holidays). For more information contact 01872 279270 or www.parkfortruro.org.uk 13 Walking and Cycling Walking or cycling to the hospital may be an option for you or visitors. Cycle parking is located by the main entrance.

Taxi There are several taxi providers, some of which are wheelchair accessible, meaning patients can remain in their wheelchairs without transferring and drivers will convey patients direct to their appointments.

Volunteer Car Service Volunteer Cornwall www.volunteercornwall.org.uk Tel: 9am – 6pm 01872 265300 Out of hours 01209 823132

Drop-off bays Drop-off and collection bays are available around the hospital entrances.

Transport Access for Patients (TAP) Priority is given to vulnerable people in isolated and rural areas. You may qualify for TAP if you: • do not have or are unable for medical reasons to travel in your own transport • cannot be driven to your healthcare appointment with friends, neighbours or relatives • are medically unable to use public transport, or this is not practical due to your isolated/rural address AND without transport you will be unable to keep your hospital appointment.

Please telephone TAP on: 01872 223388

14 Text messaging reminder service The receptionist will also ask you for details of your mobile phone number and consent to use this to remind you of forthcoming hospital appointments.

General facilities • There are coffee shops near the Trelawney Wing and Tower Block entrances. • Mullions restaurant is on the ground floor of the Tower Block. • WH Smith newsagents is just inside the Trelawney wing entrance. • There is a general shop in the Tower Block. • A cash machine is located just inside the Trelawny wing entrance. • Change machines can be found in the Trelawney Wing, Tower Block and the Emergency department. • Lloyds pharmacy is located in the link corridor and the general hospital pharmacy is in the Tower block on the ground floor.

15 Your Questions

16 If you would like this leaflet in large print, braille, audio version or in another language, please contact the General Office on 01872 252690