Cancer patients urged to call triage helplines to avoid A&E over Christmas

Stephanie Creedon, who works in the  acute haematology oncology service (AHOS) for cancer patients at the Mercy University Hospital, said patients on chemotherapy can call anytime with questions about treatment or their cancer. Picture: Dan Linehan

Cancer patients have been urged to call dedicated triage helplines over Christmas at hospitals around the country to avoid busy emergency departments.

The phonelines were set up during the pandemic, and the system has now been expanded to include two nurses per service across 26 hospitals.

Specialist nurse Stephanie Creedon said patients on chemotherapy, or other cancer treatment, can call anytime with questions about treatment or their cancer.

“We triage them. We try to keep them at home as much as we can and out of the emergency department,” she said.

“We try and manage their symptoms at home; sending them prescriptions, liaising with GPs, community intervention, palliative care, and all those kinds of people.” 

Ms Creedon, an acute haematology oncology clinical nurse specialist, will be on duty Christmas Eve at the Mercy University Hospital.

If a patient does need a doctor, nurses can arrange an appointment in St Bernadette’s Ward for review.

Sort Out my Symptoms

“We would hopefully get them home again that same day, manage their symptoms, and get a doctor to see them and try to alleviate their symptoms,” she said.

“The odd time they might need to be admitted, so we arrange the admission on that day. They can come straight into us and they bypass the emergency department.”  

The service in the Mercy University Hospital is “really well established” now, she said. 

Nationally, the service is led by the national cancer control programme (NCCP). 

“The NCCP has funded a second nurse for all the 26 hospitals that have this service now,” she said.

Patients can get local SOS hotline numbers (Sort Out my Symptoms) from their oncology team.

“They ask about their treatment, nausea, vomiting, it could be having a high temperature and a fear of sepsis, fatigue, and there’s a whole range of effects,” she said.

People might be in pain or “might just need a bit of reassurance". 

Ms Creedon will be on duty Christmas Eve at the Mercy University Hospital. If a patient does need a doctor, nurses can arrange an appointment in St Bernadette’s Ward for review. Picture: Dan Linehan

It runs Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

“Weekends and nights, they can ring the ward. The nurses are educated on triaging if we’re not there.” 

This makes a real difference for vulnerable patients, especially at this time of year when they might face long queues in an emergency department, she added.

The busy nurse is not bothered by working when other people might be starting their festivities.

“I’m in this job five years, and I was a staff nurse before that for about six years. Everyone is really nice here,” she said.

“In the run-up to Christmas, we always gets lots of sweets and chocolates from patients. They do bring things and we share it out between everyone.” 

The Mercy University Hospital runs a decorating contest called "Deck the Doors", which brings the holidays indoors — as does a cheerful Christmas tree.

“We do up the doors because you can’t have too many decorations on the wards,” she said. “It’s nice to have colour around the place.”