Incident Status: 
Primrose Unit (Oncology)
In the UK nearly, 300,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year. There is a lifetime risk of developing cancer of one in three people. Enormous improvement in early diagnosis and cure has been improved through research / clinical research over recent years.
In Bedford, breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers account for about 50% of all cancer diagnoses in both men and women. For more information about cancer, or to see research conducted by Prof. Robert Thomas and the research team at Bedford Hospital, please visit http://www.cancernet.co.uk/.
The Primrose Unit
The oncology services at Bedford Hospital are based in the dedicated on
cology unit: The Primrose Unit, which was funded by Bedford Hospitals Charity, in liaison with Macmillan Cancer Support and opened in 2003.
The unit provides a full complement of high quality, clinical and support services and is a cancer treatment unit with facilities to treat a wide range of cancers areas including breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, gastric, lymphoma and gynaecology. The Primrose unit team is made up of three consultants, a clinical oncology assistant, nurse specialists and a nursing team, all of whom work very closely with other departments within Bedford Hospital and with the radiology centre at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to ensure a multi disciplinary approach to patient care and to offer a truly holistic service to all patients at each stage of their cancer journey.
Our Services
The Primrose unit houses Bedford Hospital’s outpatient oncology service for cancer patients. New and follow-up patients with cancer are seen in one of the twelve clinics each week.
Chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy and other anti-neoplastic agents are administered daily in the purpose built suite in the primrose unit by one of our eight specialist chemotherapy nurses, and supported by a phlebotomist in the unit. It has facilities for diagnostic outpatient interventional procedures and therapeutic interventions.
The chemotherapy suite offers daily sessions (during weekdays), for oncology patients and shared care for haematology patients and is attached to the outpatient clinic area allowing the nursing staff to work closely with all of the consultants, ensuring a first class, seamless service for all the patients. The primrose unit has its own phlebotomy service, a cancer information and support centre and a wig/ hair advice room.
A scalp cooling system is also available which can be used to minimise chemotherapy induced alopecia. The unit also provides a PICC line service and 24hr telephone support line for chemotherapy patients. The unit also houses the palliative care team, and the clinical research team.
Patients requiring radiotherapy have their treatment carried out at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge. Patients requiring surgery and other interventions are discussed in one of the six multidisciplinary team meetings which are held each week, some of which are teleconferenced to the cancer centre in Cambridge and other centers in the Anglia Cancer Network.
Cancer Information and Support Service
The Macmillan Cancer Information/Support Centre was developed as a joint venture between Macmillan and the Primrose Oncology unit at Bedford Hospital in 2005, to ensure that people affected by cancer have access to comprehensive and appropriate information and support.
The centre is open from 9am-2pm Monday to Friday and the advice line is manned during this time for support over the telephone.
The service offers:
- A drop in service for information & support;
- Confidential one to one counselling;
- Emotional support;
- Health, financial and life management advice from financial assistance available right through to pet care;
- Telephone help-line service (24hr voice mail);
- Referral to other healthcare professionals;
- A wide range of information formats and information in different languages;
- Details of local and national support services and organisations
- Details about complementary therapies & outreach sessions in the community
Breast and Bowel Cancer Centre
In May 2010, a dedicated breast and bowel cancer centre was created to offer patients a ‘one stop’ service. The purpose built facility contains diagnostic and clinical facilities meaning that patients with suspected breast or bowel cancer can have diagnostic tests, results and consultations in the same place and in many cases, on the same day.
The new centre makes the service more efficient and convenient for anxious patients, and means that any treatment required can begin as soon as possible. The new clinic also creates extra capacity which will reduce waiting times for patients with suspected breast or bowel cancer.
Staff
There are three oncology consultants each covering their specialised areas.
- Professor Robert Thomas - Breast / Prostate / Bowel
- Dr Ramesh Bulusu - Lung / UGI / Lymphoma
- Dr Sarah Smith - Breast / Gynae / Colorectal
- Dr Chandu Prasannan (Oncology clinical assistant)
To find out more about the consultants at Bedford Hospital please visit the about my consultant pages.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Clinical nurse specialists are highly qualified and experienced cancer nurses. They work closely with other health care professionals to provide information about the disease, possible side effects and treatment.
Research team
Contact Us
To change or cancel an outpatient or chemotherapy appointment please ring the Primrose unit reception on (01234) 792652, call the hospital switchboard on (01234) 355122 ext. 2350. For chemotherapy appointments, contact 01234 792651 or via the hospital switchboard on (01234) 355122 ext. 2332.
