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Cancer -Paediatric
The Children’s, Teenagers’ and Young Adults’ Cancer Operational Delivery Networks (ODN) were established in 2021 to work with patients, families, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to significantly improve patient outcomes and experience across England. The North Thames Children’s Cancer ODN is hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH).
In November 2021, service specifications were released for both the Primary Treatment Centre (PTC) (GOSH/UCLH for North Thames) and for the Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCUs) to implement the recommendations of the Cancer Taskforce and the NHS Long Term Plan. These specifications had the following objectives: These specifications had the following objectives:
- Improve integration between different children’s cancer services
- Improve the experience of care
- Increase participation in clinical trials, which is currently at around two thirds of patients
- Increase tumour banking rates
- Improve the transition between children’s and TYA services, in particular ensuring that there is no age gap between different services
- Embed genomic medicine within children’s cancer services
Our main workstream at present is the successful delivery of these service specifications through collaboration with the South Thames Paediatric Network, commissioners and PTC/POSCU colleagues.
Current Projects
The team is currently working on a number of projects to improve the provision of paediatric cancer services across the North Thames region. Our current projects are outlined below.
For further information on any of our projects, please contact us and we will put you in touch with the relevant team member.
POSCU (Paediatric Oncology Share Care Unit) transformation work
We are working to deliver the paediatric cancer service specifications released in November 2021. Our work so far has involved:
- Information gathering and work diary returns from POSCUs
- Developing a Patient & Public Involvement survey
- Workforce considerations
- Pharmacy and SACT (Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy) considerations
Patient education
- Initially looking at education for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) patients and families
- Adapting a tool designed for other protocols used in Europe and Israel to the ALLTogether protocol
- Working closely with CCLG (Children’s Cancer and Leukemia Group) to create education packages
GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital Link documentation
- Work around uploading
documentation from POSCUs - Standardising and categorising
documentation of chemotherapy and episodes of supportive care that happen at POSCUs and uploaded to - Epic so easier to file/find
- Developing a standard
chemotherapy clerking form / discharge summary for POSCUs
Risk & governance
- Morbidity & Mortality meetings have now been set up to discuss issues and risks across multiple hospital sites in the Network
- Proposed 6-monthly governance meeting to be implemented
Nurse education
- Central line occlusion management
- IV training / train the trainer
- SACT passport training for community nurses. 2025 dates can be found here
- Foundation oncology skills training
- Other Projects – reintegration into education after ALL therapy
Non-POSCU pharmacy work
- Developing and standardising a list of supportive care medicines that could be given to POSCUs
- For Oncology and BMT patients looking at POSCU provision of: IVIG, Rituximab, Pentamidine, Zoledronic acid, Antifungals
Communication
- Identifying obstacles to effective communication pathways and helping to improve processes where possible
Inter-hospital transfer process
- Potential audit of transfers between UCLH and GOSH to ensure increased efficiency and risk reduction
Joint work with TYA
Working to improve processes related to:
- Transition between pediatric and adolescent services and adolescent and adult services
- Fertility and cryopreservation options
Meet the team
Dr Lynne Riley
NTPN Pediatric Cancer Clinical Lead
About
Dr Lynne Riley is the Clinical Director for the Children’s Cancer Network. She has extensive experience in General Paediatrics, Paediatric Haematology and Oncology at both paediatric oncology shared care (POSCU) and primary treatment centre (PTC) level and also in the Late Effects of Cancer, as a member of the Late Effects team at both Great Ormond Street and University College Hospitals.
She was the clinical lead for the Paediatric Oncology Service at Barnet Hospital (Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust) for 16 years before moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2018 to take up the position as lead consultant for POSCU communication in the Haematology department.
Throughout her career she has always been passionate about providing excellent care as close to home as possible for children with a cancer diagnosis, and believes that excellent communication, education and adopting a ‘one-team’ approach is key to this. She took on the network role in March 2023 and aims to build a collaborative multi-disciplinary team to help lead and transform services across the network.
Dr Jeremy Roskin
NTPN POSCU Clinical Lead
About
Dr Jeremy Roskin is our clinical co-Lead for Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCUs). Jeremy is a Consultant Paediatrician at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals (Watford General Hospital) and has been the POSCU Lead clinician and Lead for the local haemoglobinopathy service since 2020.
Jeremy trained in London working at both GOSH and UCLH Principal Treatment Centres (PTCs) and several network POSCUs, completing a SPIN in Paediatric Oncology.
Jeremy is currently leading the medical workforce subgroup as part of the NHS England transformation work implementing the National Service Specifications for Paediatric Oncology to the North Thames network. He is also collaborating closely on projects that enhance virtual MDT working and electronic communication between PTC and POSCUs and closely alongside the Teenage/Young adult team (TYA) to streamline the transition between paediatric and TYA services. Jeremy is passionate about training and education and is currently working with colleagues across the network, the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and trainee groups to improve the delivery of teaching and training to the POSCU workforce.
She was the clinical lead for the Paediatric Oncology Service at Barnet Hospital (Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust) for 16 years before moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2018 to take up the position as lead consultant for POSCU communication in the Haematology department.
Throughout her career she has always been passionate about providing excellent care as close to home as possible for children with a cancer diagnosis, and believes that excellent communication, education and adopting a ‘one-team’ approach is key to this. She took on the network role in March 2023 and aims to build a collaborative multi-disciplinary team to help lead and transform services across the network.
Dr Richa Ajitsaria
NTPN POSCU Clinical Lead
About
Dr Richa Ajitsaria, Co-Lead for POSCU, is a consultant paediatrician and has been lead for the Paediatric Oncology Service at Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2008. Her interests include clinical governance and quality improvement. She has taught on the Improve ONE thing: London School of Paediatrics QI change champions course since 2018, is an APLS medical director and regular contributor to the Pan-London Supportive Care Guideline for Children with Cancer.
Emily Baker
NTPN Paediatric Cancer Lead Nurse
About
Emily Baker is one of the Lead Nurses for the North Thames Children and Young People’s Cancer Operational Delivery Network (ODN). She has been a registered children’s nurse since 2001 and has worked in CYP cancer care within a Principal Treatment Centre since 2002 in a variety of roles, gaining a BSc in childhood cancer care during this time. One of her areas of interest is education and she completed an MA in practice Education, gaining registered nurse teacher status whilst in a joint education post which included being a senior Lecturer at London South Bank University. Emily has experience teaching internationally visiting both Kuwait and Kyiv to provide education, and she has worked with teams across London to bring together teaching and competencies allowing smoother moves between Trusts for staff. She has also previously led 2 national groups bringing nurses within CYP cancer care together, the most recent being the children’s cancer research nurses group as part of her current post as a Clinical Research Nurse alongside her ODN role.
Rochelle Lowe
NTPN Paediatric Cancer Lead Nurse
About
Rochelle Lowe is one of the Lead Nurses for the North Thames Children and Young People’s Cancer Operational Delivery Network. Rochelle qualified as a nurse in New Zealand before travelling to the Uk where she was registered as a children’s nurse. Along side this role she is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Haematology at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She is passionate about supporting children and their families throughout their treatment and promoting good physical, emotional and mental health through their recovery. She works closely with colleagues both internal to Great Ormond Street and external in paediatric oncology shared care units with a drive to ensure services align and provide the best care possible.
