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Wirral University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Gynaecological Cancer Services

Clinical Lead for Gynaecological Cancer Services:  Dr Sally Pennington, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician

 

Supporting Consultants:

  • Dr Joanna Abiola, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician
  • Mr Ash Alam, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician
  • Dr Usha Rao, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician

 

Early Diagnosis Coordinator:  Sharon Leather

Contact number:  0151 604 7556

 

Macmillan Clinical Specialist Nurses:  Karen Radley, Rachael Lewis, Kate Roberts

Contact number:  0151 604 7556

 

Specialist Colposcopy Nurse:  Jillian Broughton

Specialist Nurse Practitioners:  Natalie Pumford, Gillian Steele

 

The Gynae-oncology Team is committed to confirming or excluding cancer as quickly as possible for  all women referred with a suspected gynaecological cancer.  In order to achieve this:

  • Any patient referred by their GP as an urgent referral for suspected cancer should expect to be seen within 2 weeks.
  • Any patient undergoing investigations through our service should expect to have results communicated to them within 28 days of their referral date.

Patients will be referred by their GP after completion of a Two Week Wait Suspected Cancer Referral Form.  Patients will then be seen in a Rapid Access Clinic designed to confirm or exclude cancers of the womb, cervix, fallopian tube, ovary, vagina and / or vulva. Referrals are triaged by a Clinical Nurse Specialist to ensure that patients are seen in the most appropriate Rapid Access Clinic setting:

  • Face-to-face post-menopausal bleeding clinic (soon to be replaced by a One-stop Rapid Diagnosis Clinic)
  • Face-to-face colposcopy clinic
  • Face-to-face vulval clinic
  • Telephone pelvic mass clinic
  • Supporting clinics include: Outpatient hysteroscopy clinic, Nurse-led results clinics and Consultant-led oncology clinics

Following a referral to our service, it is understandable that many patients are extremely anxious.  We have therefore produced a leaflet to explain what to expect during a Rapid Access Clinic Consultation.

Following a cancer diagnosis, the team are dedicated to arranging any necessary investigations and treatment as quickly as possible, ideally with the aim of providing patients with their first treatment within 62 days of referral.

Our team will communicate directly with patients regarding any updates to their management plans.  Treatment plans are reviewed within a local multidisciplinary team meeting of specialists involved in each patient’s care.  This is a weekly meeting each Wednesday morning and acts as a platform for referral to the Regional Cancer Centre based in Liverpool if required.

Although our team’s services are mainly diagnostic for all gynaecological cancers, our team offer treatment for early stage endometrial cancers, early stage cervical cancers and also for ovarian masses of low malignant potential.  Treatment is otherwise provided by the Regional Cancer Centre Team at one of the following sites:

  • Liverpool Women’s Hospital
  • Royal Liverpool University Hospital
  • Aintree Hospital
  • Clatterbridge Cancer Centre