1. Implementing the toolkit Lessons learnt and shared
Joan Thomas, Angela Mellerick & Judith Merry

2. Meet our panel members Joan Thomas 30 years experience
UK Greater Midlands cancer network
Australian working party
Advice
Staff training – senior staff
Infra structure paramount
Pathways for referral to ED
Collaborative working with all stakeholders : CDU/INPT/ED
2 units of implementation UK
implemented during the process of development
After hours calls to the ward at night – not successful, inexperienced staff
Now run through CDU and registrar has after hours
Australia
Calls via triage / flow coordinator  in working hours
After hours carried by Triage Team member
Sat Sun 8.00 – 23.00
Joan has worked in Cancer Care for the past 30 years. The past 9 years here in Australia and is currently the Cancer Services Manager of the Chemotherapy Day Units at Peninsula Health.
Joan brings expertise having been part of development projects that have been successful in influencing cancer care across the world and has presented both here and at international conferences on the 24 Hour Triage Toolkit and Sexuality and Intimacy in cancer care.
Joan was a part of the Greater Midlands Cancer Network Senior Nursing Team in the UK that worked with UKONS to develop the Oncology / Haematology 24 Hour Triage Rapid Assessment and Access Tool Kit and collaborated with a working party in Australia for the implementation of the tools.
Joan is a passionate advocate in building cancer services and in the field of women’s health, having completed her Master’s Thesis:
Pelvic Radiotherapy: Are There Consequences for Women
Joan is the lead co-inventor of a medical device used internationally in gynaecological care.
2 units of implementation UK
implemented during the process of development
After hours calls to the ward at night – not successful, inexperienced staff
Now run through CDU and registrar has after hours
Aus. :
Calls via triage / flow coordinator  in working hours
After hours carried by Triage Team member
Sat Sun 8.00 – 23.00
Advice
Staff training – senior staff
Infra structure paramount
Pathways for referral to ED
Collaborative working with all stakeholders : CDU/INPT/ED

3. Meet our panel members Angela Mellerick More than 30 years experience
NUM at Olivia Newtown John cancer centre
Project lead across Victoria – implementation of nurse led clinics
Nurse led clinics
Pts experiencing toxicities
Pilot 2018
Operate within day oncology
8 other sites across Victoria
UKONS tool central component
Roll out to inpatient wards for 24/7 advice
Advice
Ensure good project governance
Include all key stakeholders
Formally capture activities
Communication skills
Angela has more than 30 years experience as a cancer nurse in a variety of roles.
For the past 15 years Angela has worked within the ambulatory setting as a clinical trials nurse and more recently as a Nurse Unit Manager within the day oncology environment at the Olivia Newton John Cancer centre.
She has also been the project lead across the state of Victoria to establish nurse led clinics for patients experiencing toxicities associated with chemotherapy since the initial model was piloted in 2013.
The nurse led clinics operate within the day oncology unit at her own organisation and 8 other sites across Victoria.
The UKONS triage tool has been a central component of this model of care.
Within her own organisation she is working with a team to roll out the  hour triage tool to the inpatient wards reflecting the intent of the UKONS model to provide that level of assessment and advice on a 24/7 basis.
Ensure good project governance and include all key stakeholders in the implementation of the tool, include medical oncologists, haematologists, ED staff, nursing staff, executive sponsor in the project team
Capturing the information in an electronic database has provided an opportunity to report back to the organisation around number of calls, reason for calls etc…  She would encourage anyone implementing the 24 hour triage tool to formally capture the activity.
Good communication skills are essential to being able to elicit the right information over the phone - setting up processes so that nursing staff attend communication skills training regularly is a key success factor

4. Meet our panel members Judith Merry Nurse co-ordinator
Symptom and side effect management
Patient education
Central coast cancer centre
24 hour service
After hours and on call provided by senior nurses
On call after 4pm daily and prior to 8am weekends
Toolkit is used for each and every call
Toolkit used for 6 years – 3 for on call
Advice
Training training training!
Tool is effective
Worked at the Central Coast Cancer Centre As a Nurse Coordinator for past 3 ½ yrs. Her primary role is in
symptom and side effect management of patients on anticancer treatments and patient pretreatment education. Worked in various roles in  Cancer Services including Day treatment units, Inpatient units, Care Coordination & Clinical Trials
Central Coast experience
The symptom and side effect management is a 24hr service (after hours oncall and service provided by senior nurses including myself)
--Our oncall service is after 4pm daily & prior to 8am & weekends we use the Triage tool for every call we receive
-Our service has been using the tool for approx. 6 years but consistently for oncall for 3 years
Advice
-Provide education to staff new to on call re the triage tool & how to use
-The tool guides assessment & the questions to ask to thoroughly assess the patient and guide management of symptoms