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Patient Information

Below is some important information for people coming to the Wellington Cancer Centre & Haematology Centre

The Centre is located in the newly built facility on the right side of the main driveway through Wellington Hospital, Riddiford St, Newtown

Orientation
Patients, family and support people are welcome to attend a Wellington Cancer Centre information session, held every two weeks.

The session is designed to give a general overview and includes a tour of the key departments. To book, please call reception on (04) 385 5999 ext 5128.

Appointment Information
The outpatient area includes the day ward, the clinic rooms and the radiation therapy area and is open between 8am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Your first appointment can take between 30 and 60 minutes and your follow-up appointments, 20 to 30 mins. There can be delays in the clinics so we suggest you avoid making other appointments close to your appointment at the WCC. Please be assured that when you are seen, you will have adequate time with the doctor or nurse and we encourage you to bring a support person.

Your Treatment & Care
The Consultant is a specialist doctor responsible for your care. This doctor will discuss with you possible treatment options and direct your medical management.

The Registrar is a doctor who is specialising in medical or radiation oncology or haematology. Registrars are responsible for the day to day management of your care and all decisions made regarding your care are made in consultation with the consultant.

The House Surgeon is a doctor who is yet to choose a specialty and who is primarily responsible for the day to day management of patients in Ward 1.

Nurses
You will encounter oncology nurses in many settings from the inpatient ward to the community. The nurses can help you access other health professionals and they also provide education and support throughout your treatment.

The Community Oncology Nurse will contact you at home after your visit to the doctor and will provide information, education and support to you and your family. The nurses form the link between you and the WCC and will provide you with their contact details when you meet. You can request this service either through your GP or through the WCC

The Outpatient Oncology Nurses work in the outpatient clinics and the day ward and should be contacted for any inquiries regarding your treatment or if you are not well enough to keep your appointment. They can be contacted during outpatient hours of Monday to Friday, 7.30am-6.30pm on (04) 385 5567. Please make any non-urgent calls after 2pm.

Ward 1 Oncology Nurses are available for urgent after hours advice related to your treatment. This is after 4:30pm and on weekends. The direct line is (04) 385 5501.

Ward 1 is an oncology and haematology ward and specialises in the treatment of cancer and blood disorders. Treatments provided include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, symptom management and bone marrow transplants. If your treatment plan is intensive, or you are having problems with side effects, your doctor may request that you be admitted to Ward 1.

Radiation Therapy
Most patients, who are to have radiation therapy treatment, come to the WCC for simulation to define the area to be treated.

Your treatment will begin as soon as the planning is complete and an appointment card will be posted to you.

It is important to remember which machine you are being treated on, as you are to report straight to that machine on the first day of your treatment.

There are 4 main areas within the radiation therapy department:

  1. The mould room – some patients that are to receive radiation therapy to the head or neck area attend to have a mask made before simulation
  2. Simulation – this machine does not give any treatment but is able to take plain x-ray films to aid in the marking up of treatment areas
  3. Planning – when the simulator x-rays and/or CT scans are complete, the treatment is planned on a computer planning system. This process may take from one to ten days depending on the complexity of the plan and some complex techniques may take a little longer
  4. Treatment machines – there are 2 treatment machines that are virtually identical – Linear 1 and Linear 2 and they operate Monday – Friday, 8am – 4.30pm. There is also another treatment machine called a Superficial Xray Machine (SXR) which is used to treat some skin lesions. These sessions are usually held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons

Please note that once a week you will see a doctor and the radiation therapists will inform you which day your doctor’s clinic is held. Please allow up to an hour for this appointment.

Radiology Department: The radiology department is where you will have your CT scan, MRI or x-ray. It is located on Levels D, adjacent to the main hospital lifts. The radiology staff will advise you if you need to do anything special to prepare for your procedure.

Nuclear Medicine: Bone scans are performed in the nuclear medicine department, which is situated on Level C, in the main corridor directly opposite Breakaway Cafe.

Transport to treatment
The Cancer Society (www.cancersoc.org.nz) provides transport for cancer patients who need help to get to the WCC for treatment. The service is free to cancer patients who do not have family or friends who can offer transport. Please tell staff if you need help with transport and they will contact the volunteer driving coordinator for your area with details of your appointment. A volunteer driver will contact you before your appointment to discuss the details. We require 48 hours’ notice for this service.

Regional Clinics
Regional outpatient clinics are held in Kenepuru, Hutt, Masterton and Wairau Hospitals and services provided through these clinics include assessments, management and follow-up care.

Information including maps, transport, visiting hours, consent, privacy, accessing medical records, etc is available under the Our Hospitals section of this site.