Quarterly Review Process
PATIENT FOLLOW UP PROCESS AND QUARTERLY REVIEWS
Interval blood results
We would like to see an initial set of interval bloods (full blood count, liver and kidney function) 4-6 weeks following commencement of our adjunct combination protocol.
If you are currently receiving standard of care therapy and/or attending regular clinic appointments, you are likely to be having interval bloods tests collected at your hospital. Please arrange for a copy of these results to be sent to us. In the event you are not getting interval bloods collected at the hospital, please ask the GP to organise a blood test for you 4-6 weeks after commencement of the COC Protocol.
Blood reports, along with other medical documents, such as letters and scan reports, are information which belongs to the patient. Therefore, it is often most straightforward to request copies (from the oncology secretaries, specialist nurse or GP as relevant) for your own files which you can share onwards with Care Oncology. However, if you/the hospital or GP would prefer the information to be directly shared, healthcare professional to healthcare professional, please contact us and we will be able to provide a secure NHS.net email address.
The quarterly review
We will review you quarterly, the first appointment falling due 3 months from commencement of treatment, as you are coming to the end of your initial prescription. This will always be by video or telephone conference for your convenience and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Admin Team will be able to arrange a convenient time and will seek to contact you some weeks in advance of your review being due. Please also feel free to call the clinic on +44 20 3855 5939 or email support@careoncologyclinic.com if there are dates/times which suit you.
Ahead of your review, please ensure we have received your latest blood results (including full blood count, liver and kidney function tests), any CT/MRI/PET/Xray scan reports, any histology reports + clinic letters: support@careoncologyclinic.com.
*Should you experience difficulties organising interval blood tests during the Covid 19 pandemic, please let us know and we will advise further.
About the review
Cancer is complex and things can change very quickly e.g., medication, standard of care therapies, possible side effects, disease evolution, additional health issues, blood cell counts and organ function, energy levels, appetite, weight etc. Even when a patient appears to be stable, all these elements must be assessed, and any changes considered to determine whether adjustment of the protocol may be appropriate and ensure that ongoing treatment is delivered to maximise safety and efficacy. Therefore, the review is fundamentally for your safety and it is also a forum for you to discuss in detail any questions you might have and gain some reassurance and feedback. During the review, you doctor will take account of new clinical information (e.g., interval bloods and scans, changes to standard of care treatments and other medications) and make adjustments as appropriate.
The reviews are £200 following which a new 3-month prescription will be sent to the pharmacy who will again contact you directly re payment and shipping.
Please note, the doctor will only be able to write a new quarterly prescription after reviewing interval bloods for full blood count, liver and kidney function. These must be bloods drawn within the 4-6 week period prior to your scheduled review date.
Side effects and changes to health status
We would also like to remind you that you must contact us by phone/email during the quarter should you experience any side-effects, have any follow up questions, or if there are any changes, good or bad, to your health status. We can then advise accordingly.
Medicines
Please also contact us if you notice you are running out of any medicines prior to when your review would normally be due. Should you be coming to the end of your current supply of medication and do not have a recent complete set of blood results available, we may be able to offer you a short duration top-up prescription subject to clinician approval. This may incur a £50.00 administration fee payable in advance and the standard quarterly review fee will still apply.
A blood test must then be organised during the period covered by the top up prescription and results shared with the clinic so that the review can then be booked in line with the normal quarterly follow up schedule.
Please note that we can provide a maximum of two short duration prescriptions in any twelve-month period.