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Friends of the Cancer Centre’s doctors, clinical nurse specialists and nurses provide expert medical care and support to hundreds of patients each year. We also support the work of staff on the ground through the on-going funding of vital medical equipment, ensuring that staff have the equipment they need to diagnose and treat patients.
Meet some of our wonderful staff below and read how they, as well as the vital equipment we support, are making a difference to patients.
Professor Jain is a Consultant Oncologist in the Cancer Centre and a Clinical Reader at Queens University Belfast. His post has been supported by Friends of the Cancer Centre since 2013 and he specialises in the treatment of prostate cancer. He delivers advanced external beam radiotherapy and is one of two oncologists in Northern Ireland who treats patients with prostate brachytherapy. He also utilises chemotherapy and drug therapy in advanced prostate cancer and is involved in many clinical trials. His role is fully integrated with lab-based research at Queen’s University.
Elaine is a vital lynchpin in a patient’s care and she has been funded by the charity since 2011. Elaine, who is the Cancer Centre’s only breast oncology CNS, works with the consultant team and is the point of information, guidance and support for patients.
Laura provides specialist care for Haematology patients in the Bridgewater Suite. She monitors a range of patients who are attending for treatment, including through SACT prescribing, reviewing Haematology patients for ambulatory care, and providing medical assessment for patients in the Apheresis Suite.
Renée is the point of contact for teenagers and young adults going through treatment. For many young people, a cancer diagnosis can be a worrying and confusing time, but Renée is on hand to provide a listening ear, information, and guidance for these young people.
Melanie specialises in kidney and testicular cancer, working closely with urology consultants to offer vital care and support to patients. Melanie has also established her own nurse-led clinics which allow her to see more patients and help reduce waiting times.
Shelley specialises in supporting men with prostate cancer and she is on hand to offer advice, guidance, and support throughout a patient’s treatment. Shelley also holds health and wellbeing events for men who have finished their treatment, ensuring they have the information and support they need post-treatment.
Alison provides ongoing contact, offers holistic support, and ensures continuity of care throughout treatment for urology patients. She works alongside Shelley to provide specialist support and guidance for prostate and bladder cancer patients.
Claire joined us in 2017 and she is a vital source of support for patients dealing with head and neck cancer. She is an important link between clinical teams, ensuring patients have access to the right care and support when they need it. Her own nurse-led clinics allow her to see more patients with this complex cancer.
Stephanie provides care and support for lung cancer patients and their families. Acting as their keyworker, she offers advice, guidance and support through diagnosis, treatment and follow up.
Rachael acts as a key worker for teenagers and young adults going through cancer. She cares for patients and families through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond by providing advice, support, clinical information, and signposting.
Chloë supports lung cancer patients as their key worker, across the whole pathway, from diagnosis, treatment, and follow up, to palliative and end of life care. She also provides support for patient families and carers, at what can be a really difficult time for them too.
Gemma is the only nurse of her kind in Northern Ireland, providing tailored care for people affected by metastatic breast cancer. She is an accessible point of contact for patients and provides a valuable link between the surgical, oncology and secondary breast cancer services.
Nicky is responsible for monitoring incidents and improving the safety of the SACT service, ensuring that corrective and preventative action is put in place. Nicky also represents the Belfast Trust in a number of regional Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN) groups.
Andrea provides a dedicated support system for lymphoma patients. She works closely with her patients and their carers and families, acting as a keyworker. She cares for their needs and signposts to other supportive services during their treatment and beyond.
Emma works with clinical nurse specialists in lung and breast cancer to deliver and co-ordinate patient care. As well as signposting patients to support services available, Emma ensures patients have a constant line of communication with their oncology team and helps to improve the overall patient experience.
The charity has proudly funded a new mobile app which will help patients track any side effects of their chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatment. This allows patients to keep an accurate diary of their symptoms and they are directly reported to the oncology helpline team, and are then readily available for their treatment team at their next appointment.
Local breast cancer patients are benefitting from a state-of-the-art 3D breast imaging system thanks to Friends of the Cancer Centre. The 3D breast imaging system plays a vital role in helping women considering reconstructive surgery after mastectomy and this particular model is the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
Friends of the Cancer Centre has funded a number of pieces of vital equipment, ensuring that staff have the resources available to meet patient demand. This has included 34 syringe drivers, 40 nebulisers and 16 observation machines, all of which are crucial for ensuring that staff can carry out vital aspects of their work and safely monitor patients.
The charity has recently funded the installation of a new non-emergency call system in radiotherapy nursing. When more than one staff member is required to care for a patient, they can be called using the new system. The patient is not left unattended, ensuring that they are treated as quickly and safely as possible.
We are delighted to donate £2,000 to support
@FriendsCCNI and the amazing work they do! This donation was made on behalf of our own home-grown Karma brand. 10% of all Karma sales go towards charity🫶💫
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Friends of the Cancer Centre is a registered company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland. Company number NI616925. Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101345.
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