Your treatment with us

Before you come and see us you will probably already have had a diagnosis of cancer confirmed by your current doctor or surgeon. Normally your doctor or surgeon will send us a referral letter here at the Healthcare at Home Clinic. The letter contains some information which helps us ahead of your consultation.

Your doctor or surgeon will usually have a specific consultant they would like you to see, who specialises in your type of cancer. When we have received a referral for you, we will contact you and arrange a suitable appointment with the consultant to whom you have been referred. This will be followed up with a letter confirming the details.

In some cases, particularly when there is already a confirmed diagnosis of cancer, your doctor may consider that it is more appropriate that you are seen straight away by an oncologist, and therefore you may be referred directly to us.

Your first consultation

Everything we do is aimed to make your visits to the Healthcare at Home Clinic as comfortable as possible. We have lots of free car parking so you won't find yourself looking for a space 10 minutes away and rushing to make it in time.

When you come to the clinic you will be greeted by our receptionist and invited to take a seat in our comfortable waiting room. When it is time for you to be seen, your consultant will come and collect you and take you to the appropriate room.

Your first consultation with your Bristol Oncology Consultant is crucial. We will go through your medical history and you may be examined, you will then discuss the consultant's recommendations with them. What's equally important is that you make sure all your questions about your treatment plan are answered. If you are attending with a partner, friend or relative, they often provide a good source of comfort and can help you ask some of the questions that you may have missed.

After your consultation, depending on your treatment plan, you may be asked to provide a sample of blood which one of our nurses will take from you. This sample will usually be tested here at the Healthcare at Home Clinic by our colleagues in pathology, and we will have the results quickly. If your treatment plan involves a course of chemotherapy, one of our nurses will sit with you and discuss the treatment regimen in detail and answer any questions you may have.

It might seem like a lot to take in at first, but please be assured we have written information for you to take with you, and of course if you have any questions at all, you can always call us. Our clinic manager will keep you well informed of when you are required for treatment and what to expect.

Investigations and tests

From time to time, both before and during your treatment, we will need to perform some tests to see how you are responding to your treatment and if you are ready to have your next session. If these require blood testing, we will perform these here at the Healthcare at Home Clinic. You may also require scans such as X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, CT or Dexa and these will be arranged for you.

Your treatment

The courses of treatment available at the clinic include chemotherapy, hormone treatment and biological approaches such as targeted antibody treatments. If you require radiotherapy, this will also be arranged for you by your Bristol Oncology Consultant, with the radiotherapy itself being carried out at a centre near to the Healthcare at Home Clinic.

We use the very latest treatment protocols and drugs to ensure you are given the right treatment for you. We are well represented in regional cancer networks and this ensures our consultants have nationally and internationally recognised expertise in treating you. It's important for us to know if you are undergoing any complementary therapies, including taking herbal remedies, medicines or therapies.

Some chemotherapy regimens last quite a short period of time, while others are given over several hours. When you come to the Healthcare at Home Clinic for your treatment, you will be in the care of one of Healthcare at Home's highly qualified IV nurses, who will administer your treatment, regardless of how long this takes. The infusion suite at the Healthcare at Home clinic is extremely well equipped to deliver your treatment and we will also make you as comfortable as possible throughout. Your friend or relative can sit with you during your chemotherapy session. Please make sure you wear loose or easy fitting clothes.

Follow up

Your chemotherapy will be made up of a number of cycles that make up a course of treatment. Throughout your chemotherapy you will be monitored closely to understand how you are responding to your treatment. After you have finished your course of treatment, you will have a follow up appointment with your consultant.