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We are an 18 bedded Haematology ward consisting of:

• 7 side rooms
• Two 4-bedded bays
• One 3 bedded bay
• Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that you will have a side room when you are admitted to Laurel 3 as our side rooms are limited. If you are in a side room, there may be a need to move you into another bed space on the ward to facilitate admissions.
• If you wish to bring in food from home, please discuss this with the nurse in charge in the first instance as we have an extensive menu offering a range of snacks and meals.
• For your safety and others, please restrict the number of items you bring with you into hospital. Always keep them with you/at your bed space. Please do not leave items in the bathrooms. If you are concerned and would like some more information regarding this, please ask to speak to the nurse in charge.

Skin Checks: Your skin can change when you are admitted to hospital for a number of reasons. A deterioration in skin can delay a discharge home if it is not acted upon quickly enough. We will provide you with a Pressure Ulcer Prevention leaflet regarding the care of your skin. Please inform our nursing team if you have any concerns about your skin or if you previously have had a pressure sore.

For the safety of everyone, please:

• Wash your hands after toileting
• Ensure your bed space is decluttered – we can help!
• Tell us if a urine bottle needs emptying
• No flowers
• No vaping/smoking
• No abuse towards staff

Please complete the friends and family test before your discharge home (ask a member of staff if you have not been given a feedback card)

• Rowan Suite
• Millbrook Suite
• Garden Suite

Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT – also often termed Chemotherapy) is usually given on one of our 3 day case units from Monday- Friday depending on the type of treatment you need; you may need an inpatient stay on our Haematology ward Laurel 3

Our day case SACT units are:

• Rowan suite based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital - open 08.30am-5.30pm
• Garden suite- currently based at Kidderminster hospital but soon to be moved back to the Alexandra hospital site (it was moved due to Covid-19) – open 09.00am-5.00pm
• Millbrook suite based at Kidderminster Hospital- open 09.00am-5.00pm

All three units have comfortable recliner chairs to relax in while your treatment is given, with beverages and snacks offered throughout the day. Our chemo nurses are all experienced and knowledgeable in systemic anti-cancer treatments and are there to answer any questions you may have. They will be present throughout your treatment and will be there to support you in managing any side effects you may experience as a result of treatment. We always aim to provide a warm, friendly atmosphere to help make your treatment as positive an experience as possible.

Chemotherapy Lead Nurse: Sam Toland

Unit Managers for individual chemotherapy departments:

• Garden Suite KTC: Shelly Chester
• Millbrook Suite KTC: Suzy Hoskins
• Rowan Suite WRH: Deborah Roadknight

Chemotherapy Lead Pharmacist: Steph Cook

Useful telephone Numbers:

• Rowan Suite : 30434
• Garden Suite : 53861
• Millbrook Suite : 53807

The pharmacy department is based across two sites (Alexandra Hospital and Worcestershire Royal Hospital) and provides services to all hospitals within the Worcestershire county area, including community hospitals. The pharmacy team has around 160 staff all working together to provide a pharmaceutical service within the acute trust. These include:

• Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Technicians
• Foundation Training Pharmacists
• Pre-registration Pharmacy Technicians
• Senior Pharmacy Assistants (sometimes called SATOs)
• Pharmacy Assistants (sometimes called ATOs)

The pharmacy department provides various services including a ward-based pharmacy medicines management service to a significant number of inpatient clinical areas on both sites. There is a team of pharmacy staff for each designated area, comprising a Lead Pharmacist, Specialist Support Pharmacists or rotational Pharmacists, and a Pharmacy Technician. The pharmacists and technicians review all inpatient prescription charts for their area(s) each day, with the overall aim to deliver safe, cost-effective, evidence-based medicines management.

Pharmacists conduct a medication history review & medicines reconciliation for all newly admitted patients as early in their admission as possible, using a range of sources. Identification of any discrepancies or omissions, and issues regarding patient compliance/concordance and possible medication factors contributing to the admission are discussed with the medical teams.

"One-stop" dispensing provides medicines supplied for use on the ward labelled ready for discharge. This, coupled with a ward-based discharge process where TTOs are professionally screened by the ward pharmacist and dispensed by the ward technician, facilitates quicker turnaround times for TTOs and consequently reduces length of stay.

The pharmacy teams provide advice to nursing and medical staff on all aspects of medication prescribing, storage and administration, along with patient counselling on newly initiated and changed medicines.

Aseptic services:

• There are two aseptic units within the acute Trust one based at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital site and one at the Alexandra Hospital site. The two sites all offer services to the Trust manufacturing sterile injectable products in a ready to administer form from highly controlled and externally audited manufacturing facilities. Worcestershire Royal Hospital Unit provides chemotherapy for oncology services at the Worcestershire Royal and Kidderminster Hospital sites and for haematology inpatients at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital site.

For Pharmacy opening hours please see below:

• Mondays 9am to 5pm
• Tuesdays 9am to 5pm
• Wednesdays 9am to 5pm
• Thursdays 9am to 5pm
• Fridays 9am to 5pm
• Saturdays 9am to 12.30pm
• Sundays CLOSED
• Bank Holidays Opening times vary for each Bank Holiday

Contact numbers: 

• Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester - Switchboard 01905 763333
• Alexandra Hospital, Redditch Switchboard 01527 503030

The Haematology Department provides clinics on Rowan Suite at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Millbrook Suite at Kidderminster Hospital and the Main Outpatients Department at Alexandra Hospital.

Rowan Suite at Worcestershire Royal Hospital is located on the first floor of the main hospital building. There is a car park, situated near the main entrance of the hospital, however this does become very busy and at times can take up to 45 minutes to find a space.

The Haematology Outpatient Department is open from 09:00hrs – 17:00hrs Monday to Friday. It is closed on weekends and bank holidays.

What happens when I arrive?

• If you are arriving for an appointment at Rowan Suite in your own transport, please park in the patient car park as you would normally and contact the reception desk on 01905 733023 to inform the staff that you have arrived and give them your mobile number. Please remain in your car until reception phones you to let you know that the doctor is ready to see you. If you are using hospital transport, please come to the clinic on arrival.
• On your arrival to the Rowan Suite for your appointment you will be greeted by a health care assistant who will confirm your details and ask you to take a seat. There are likely to be a number of different haematology and oncology clinics running simultaneously.
• On your arrival at the Alexandra Hospital, please report directly to the main reception desk at the hospital entrance where a member of staff will confirm your details and direct you to the Main Outpatients Department for your appointment.
• Millbrook Suite at Kidderminster Hospital is located in C Block and can be accessed via the main entrance of the hospital. You will be greeted on arrival at Millbrook Suite by a health care assistant who will confirm your details and ask you to take a seat.
• Some haematology appointments may be undertaken as a telephone consultation. You will be sent an appointment letter in the post for your telephone consultation with an estimated time for your consultation and a member of the haematology team will telephone you within one to two hours of your scheduled appointment time. If you have recently changed contact telephone numbers, we would be most grateful if you could notify one of the haematology secretaries.

What happens during the consultation?

• At the time of your appointment the Doctor or Specialist Nurse will call you into their consulting room. A clinical assessment will be performed which will include a physical examination and a range of questions. There may be a medical or nursing student present as these clinics are an important part of their education. You have a right to decline the student being present without any impact on your care.
• If you would like a chaperone during your consultation or for any part of it, please do not hesitate to ask the Doctor or Specialist Nurse and one of the Outpatient team would be more than happy to assist.
• Whilst the department strives to keep to time, some consultations can take longer than expected, so there may be delays to your appointment time.
• The Doctor or Specialist Nurse may have requested for you to have a blood test prior to your appointment, it is important to have this blood test at least 2 days before your clinic appointment so that the results are available for your doctor to review.
• Blood tests can usually be performed by your GP or in the hospital phlebotomy department. Suite.

Can I bring someone with me?

• It is best to attend the consultation on your own due to Covid 19, however you can attend with one person if you wish.

The Acute Oncology Service has several roles.

• First - The Acute Oncology Practitioner team are based across the county at both the Alexandra and Worcester Hospitals. There are a team of seven nurse practitioners who work within Acute Oncology. Our role is to review patients, assess them and prescribe a treatment plan/medications and so on. We are supported by our healthcare support workers and the staff based on ward Laurel 2. We liaise with the Haematology consultants and clinical nurse specialists on a regular basis.
• Second - The emergency treatment helpline is held on ward Laurel 3, and the ward staff there undertake the calls from patients who are unwell, either from their illness or treatment side effects.

The emergency treatment helpline 01905 760 158 is available 24 hours 7 days a week. It can get busy so as an alternative you can call the main hospital line 01905 763 333 and ask for bleep 491.

We undertake a full assessment (and ask you lots of questions!), and when you call, we will ask you for your NHS number, so it is handy to have it ready when you call.

Depending on that assessment we can either provide you with telephone advice, signpost you to see your GP surgery, have a visit from the local district nurse team, attend Accident and Emergency department, or to our acute oncology assessment bay on Laurel 2. We see unwell haematology and oncology patients in the Acute oncology bay, after either a call to the helpline, or attending clinic or Accident and Emergency department. The unit is open 7 days a week 9am to 9pm.