Nurse Practitioner Team

Introduction

The Haematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), Immunology and CAR-T department at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) acts as a unified cancer centre with University College Hospital London (UCLH) – together we form the largest oncology centre in Europe. We are uniquely set up to treat the rarest and most complex forms of paediatric cancer and our overall haematology and oncology survival rates are comparable to the best results internationally.

The Immunology department offers a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment service for children with suspected or confirmed primary immunodeficiency. We are one of two specialist centres in the UK that treat children with severe Primary Immunodeficiencies, and are one of the largest centres worldwide.

GOSH provides highly specialised (tertiary) cancer care and serves as the principle treatment centre (PTC) for children diagnosed with a number of different malignant (cancerous) and non-malignant (non-cancerous) Haematology/Oncology diagnoses.

Our Haematology service treats children with both malignant and non-malignant haematological conditions, some of which require progressive and innovative treatments such as targeted therapies, BMT and CAR-T therapy.

Our Oncology service treats patients with solid tumours, providing a multidisciplinary approach with innovative chemotherapy approaches, immunotherapy, stem cell transplants and complex surgical treatments by paediatric surgeons and neurosurgeons who specialise in paediatric tumours. Due to our links with UCLH we also have access to radiotherapy when needed for specific diseases.

Our BMT unit is the largest paediatric BMT centre in the UK. We provide a comprehensive haematopoietic stem cell transplant service for children with life-threatening haematological, immunological, metabolic, rheumatological and gastroenterological conditions.

Our CAR-T service treats patients with B-cell Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) that is refractory (does not respond to treatment) or is in a second or late relapse. GOSH was the first NHS hospital in the UK to treat a paediatric patient successfully using Kymriah, a type of CAR T-cell therapy.

Our Immunology service treats Children affected by a variety of other disorders, often in conjunction with other specialists. There is close collaboration with the BMT team and a small, highly selected group also undergo gene therapy procedures or thymus transplantation.

For our international patients, all specialised PTC and Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit (POSCU) level care is delivered under one roof at GOSH by expert clinical staff. Our doctors and nurses have been trained in cancer treatment and have the necessary skills to administer and deliver world-class cancer treatment. The aim of cancer care is to allow our patients and families to have as much of a normal life as possible. It is the role of our staff to provide information and advice to our families to always help with this.

The Nurse Practitioner Team are here to support you and your child undergoing treatment for cancer at GOSH. They act as your main point of contact throughout your time here. The Nurse Practitioner Team are involved from the very beginning, from the point of referral, until your child has completed treatment with us and you able to return to your local hospital at the end of their treatment or for continuation.

As a team, we co-ordinate the treatment that a child needs, such as chemotherapy, protocol writing, BMT donor co-ordination, surgery, scans, blood tests, tissue typing, appointments with their lead consultants and also co-ordinate with other specialities that are needed to help support a child such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

We provide information for you relating to your child’s treatment and how the care may change. We support you while you are an inpatient and outpatient, and remain your keyworker throughout your child’s treatment, and beyond.

We also work closely with sponsoring bodies (embassy/insurance) to ensure that they are kept up to date with all relevant information.

Meet the Team

Speciality: Haematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, CAR-T

Nurse Practitioner Team: Haem/Onc: Emma Hedges (ANP), Kirsty Ware (Specialist Nurse), BMT: Lindsey Young (ACP), Katherine Berry (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Immunology:Tanja Stankova (ANP), Administrative support: Dayna Hounslow (Beacon Coordinator)

Clinicians Haematology: Dr Anupama Rao, Prof Ajay Vora, Dr David O’Connor, Dr Jack Bartram, Dr Keith Sibson, Dr Philip Ancliff, Dr Sara Ghorashian, Dr Sujith Samarasinghe, Dr Vesna Pavasovic

Clinicians Oncology: Dr Catriona Duncan, Dr Christine Dahl, Prof Darren Hargrave, Dr Giuseppe Barone, Dr Mette Jorgensen, Dr Olga Slater, Dr Tanzina Chowdhury

Clinicians Bone Marrow Transplant: Prof Persis Amrolia, Dr Kanchan Rao, Dr Robert Chiesa, Dr Juliana Silva

Clinicians CAR-T: Prof Persis Amrolia, Dr Kanchan Rao, Dr Robert Chiesa, Dr Anupama Rao, Dr Jack Bartram, Dr Philip Ancliff, Dr Sara Ghorashian, Dr Vesna Pavasovic, Dr Juliana Saliva

Clinicians Immunology: Dr Winnie Ip, Dr Austen Worth, Dr Maaike Kusters, Dr Reem Elfeky, Dr Paul Torpiano, Dr Matthew Buckland, Dr Claire Booth, Waseeem Qasim