The app will help clinical teams assess cancer patients who attend hospitals or other clinical settings with unexpected complications or side effects from their cancer treatment.
Cancer patients who become acutely unwell as a result of their illness or because of side effects from their treatment can often present at local hospitals or GP surgeries. It’s estimated that one in 10 patients in acute hospitals have are experiencing cancer related problems.
Dr Hilary Williams who is an Oncology Consultant at Velindre Cancer Centre said: “Cancer patients can become acutely unwell at unexpected times and may need to go to their local hospital. Even for an experienced doctor, managing a cancer emergency can be challenging. “Clinicians in acute and community settings have many demands on their time, and guidelines can sometimes be hard to find, long, and tricky to follow. “This is the first free app of its kind, bridging the gap between cancer specialists and front line staff in local hospitals who might find themselves dealing with an unexpected cancer patient emergency. “
The App allows any health care professional to quickly access short, clear guidelines which will help ensure patients receive the right care as quickly as possible.”
The App - based on UK national guidelines and developed by Velindre Cancer Centre and cancer teams across Wales – was funded by Velindre Charitable Funds.
It is free to download now on iOS and Android devices – just search for “Acute Oncology Support”