Clinical Nurse Specialists

I am the Nutrition Clinical Nurse Specialist and have responsibility for nursing care of patients receiving artificial nutrition by providing expert advice and training to patients, family and staff.

I am available Monday to Thursday during normal office hours to support patients at key points through treatment when they require nutrition support. 

Inpatients are seen on a regular basis on the wards so that education, practical support and information can be provided.

I will also support patient during discharge by helping them and family self-caring with their nutrition at home. Will make sure the community services are involved with care when required.

Once patients are discharged home, they can maintain contact with me to discuss their concerns over the phone or by email, or make an appointment to see me to talk things through.

Some of the ways I might help you

• Answer any questions about your nutrition device/tube
• Help you to understand how to care for your nutrition device/tube
• Provide you with written information
• Provide support if any complication with your nutrition device/tube
• Provide impatient care and education
• Organize equipment to take home when discharged
• Liaise with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) treating you
• Liaise with your GP, community team and/or other hospitals as appropriate

I am a senior staff nurse and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) clinical nurse specialist based in the endoscopy department.  My training in PEG includes hands-on PEG insertion study days, degree module in Clinical Nutrition and shadowing other CNSes in my field.

I am responsible for assessing patients prior to PEG insertion and providing education to them and their families on how the procedure is done and how to care for their tube.  I am the first assistant during the procedure which means I perform the skin level part.

I also teach and supervise other nurses in this and in PEG care.  In conjunction with the nutrition CNS I see patients post procedure to provide ongoing education to patients and their families.

I am involved in policy writing, developing care instructions and audit.  I have also presented in my field at conferences.

I am the Clinical nurse Specialist within The London Clinic who is responsible for Tissue Viability, otherwise known as complex Wound management.

My role covers all inpatient and outpatient areas within the clinic providing expert assessment, advice and support for you and the staff involved with your care.  This can be in relation to all aspects of wound management and any type of wound.  I cover all specialities and deal with many wounds, such as pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, surgical and palliative care wounds.

I provide a holistic review of your care in relation to your wound healing and liaise with all members of the multidisciplinary team to help support optimal wound progress.

I pride myself in staying up to date with current research and this allows me to recommend the most suitable dressing products or support equipment that you may require.  All plans are made following a full discussion with you, your family and your consultant, so you feel fully involved.

If you have a wound and there is concern about its progress, please ask the nursing staff to contact me and I will help support if I am able.

Some of the ways I may be able to help you:

• Answer any questions about your wound and what may help it improve
• Help you understand how wound healing occurs
• Select products that best suit your needs
• Provide education to nursing staff involved in your care to optimise wound healing
• Liaise with community teams to support your transition home
• Provide specialist assessments prior to leg bandaging
• Liaise with multidisciplinary teams to provide pressure relieving equipment
• Support you and your family to plan discharge home if you have a wound
• Provide follow-up in outpatients if you are managing a complex wound at home
• Provide information to help you anticipate your longer-term needs.

The London Clinic Inpatient Pain Management Service (the first of its kind in the independent medical sector) comprises four consultants and three clinical nurse specialists, whose role is to optimise the assessment and management of pain during both peri-operative and medical admissions. 

We provide a core nursing service Monday – Friday 8am - 4pm and provide some additional service from 4pm - 8pm most weekdays, and some Saturday mornings where possible. The Pain Consultants provide additional support with a consultant led ward round, on at least four days.

The highly educated Clinical Nurse Specialists in Pain Management at The London Clinic provide day to day safe and effective specialist pain management and advice for patients experiencing pain during their hospital stay.

We help patients who are not necessarily having surgery, but are suffering from short or long-term pain.

I work closely with colorectal consultants to support patients and their families before, during and after their surgery.  I also help patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options, and answer any questions and concerns.

This includes giving relevant and reliable information on stoma siting.  As a Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist, I help patients by providing:

• Advice and someone to listen, at the time of diagnosis
• Pre-operative consultation: Guiding patients through often complex surgical treatment - related decisions about stoma formation, ileoanal pouch, and intraoperative radiotherapy for bowel cancer
• Post-operative inpatient care
• Post-operative follow up- advice, support and information, as outpatient follow-up, or by telephone
• Telephone follow-up: bowel function, pain management, wound care
• Nurse-led clinic: bowel function and irrigation, wound care, including complex high anal fistulas
• Potential follow-up on treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy
• Advice on potential side effects of bowel cancer treatment

The clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in symptom management provide holistic palliative and supportive care advice, including the management of pain and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

We also give social, spiritual and emotional support by providing continuity of care through developing a relationship with each patient and his or her relatives and carers.

We also support patients who require complex discharge planning, liaising closely with local health care authorities, GPs, and specialist teams in the community, especially with the community palliative care nurses and hospices.

We offer follow-up bereavement calls to families and carers and we advise on further bereavement support in the communities.

Our role also involves support for staff in other departments around the delivery of care for these patients.

The London Clinic Inpatient Pain Management Service (the first of its kind in the independent medical sector) comprises four consultants and three clinical nurse specialists, whose role is to optimise the assessment and management of pain during both peri-operative and medical admissions. 

We provide a core nursing service Monday – Friday 8am - 4pm and provide some additional service from 4pm - 8pm most weekdays, and some Saturday mornings where possible. The Pain Consultants provide additional support with a consultant led ward round, on at least four days.

The highly educated Clinical Nurse Specialists in Pain Management at The London Clinic provide day to day safe and effective specialist pain management and advice for patients experiencing pain during their hospital stay.

We help patients who are not necessarily having surgery, but are suffering from short or long-term pain.

As the Plastic Surgery Clinical Nurse Specialist I work closely with the plastic surgery consultants to support patients who are having either reconstructive, plastic or aesthetic surgery.

I am based in the clinical rooms at 5 Devonshire Place and see patient’s pre and post operatively.

I like to see any patients who are an inpatient under a plastics consultant; this is to support the nurses, answer any questions or concerns the patient/family might have and to ensure they have appropriate follow up on discharge.

I can help with complex wounds and dressings advice, with bras and garments, with reconstruction protocols and review the reconstruction in the absence of a doctor.

I am available Monday - Thursday during office hours.

Fiona Jones is a registered nurse with 15 years’ experience in Critical Care nursing and who specialises in liver diseases.

She has worked as a Practice Development Nurse in the largest liver unit in Europe where she was instrumental in developing key pathways for the care of patients following liver surgery and the development of nurse competencies.

She guest lectures on university programmes on post graduate education about liver diseases and transplantation and has published in the subject.

She proceeded to become a liver transplant coordinator responsible for coordinating solid organ transplants and then the living donor liver transplant coordinator. She was also responsible for providing pre-assessment and follow-up care for the entire patient journey.

Fiona has a huge experience looking after patients with a range of liver diseases including the medical and surgical management of such patients.

Fiona is now our Clinical Nurse Specialist for Hepatology at The London Clinic.

Liver services

I am one of two Clinical Nurse Specialists, based in the Endoscopy Unit, who share a job organising Capsule Endoscopy tests (video capsule of the small bowel).

Our role is to contact patients who have been referred by a consultant for a Capsule Endoscopy test, to prepare them, carry out the test and ensure that results are delivered promptly to the referring doctor.

Pre-assessment is important for the safe test and good preparation. Explanations and instructions are given by telephone, email or a pre-assessment visit, to ensure that every patient is fully prepared for the test. Occasionally patients will need to stay in hospital during the test, but the majority of patients complete the test at home.

Some of the ways in which we may help you

• Give full explanation of the Capsule Endoscopy test
• Complete a pre-assessment prior to the test
• Assess and advise over concerns of complications or risks
• Provide preparatory information for the test, bowel prep and patency capsule
• Advise about getting authorization from the insurance company
• Provide one-to-one specialist nursing care during the Capsule Endoscopy test
• Liaise with the referring consultant or GP and provide a Capsule Endoscopy report prior to follow-up appointments.

Please note that my working days are Monday and Tuesday.

I work closely with colorectal consultants to support patients and their families before, during and after their surgery.  I also help patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options, and answer any questions and concerns.

This includes giving relevant and reliable information on stoma siting.  As a Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist, I help patients by providing:

• Advice and someone to listen, at the time of diagnosis
• Pre-operative consultation: Guiding patients through often complex surgical treatment - related decisions about stoma formation, ileoanal pouch, and intraoperative radiotherapy for bowel cancer
• Post-operative inpatient care
• Personalised stoma care plan, including pre-operative stoma siting
• Post-operative follow up- advice, support and information, as outpatient follow-up, or by telephone
• Telephone follow up: bowel function, pain management, wound care
• Nurse led clinic: stoma assessment service, bowel function and irrigation, wound care, including complex high anal fistulas
• Potential follow-up on treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy
• Advice on potential side effects of bowel cancer treatment

Jenny did her nurse training at University College London.

She then specialised in Oncology Nursing, obtaining the qualification in Oncology Nursing from the Royal Marsden which she consolidated by working there for three years.

She obtained the diploma in Breast Care Nursing in 1999 from the Royal Marsden and has specialised in this field of nursing ever since.

She regularly attends Pan London Breast Care Nurse and London Cancer Alliance meetings.

The London Clinic Inpatient Pain Management Service (the first of its kind in the independent medical sector) comprises four consultants and three clinical nurse specialists, whose role is to optimise the assessment and management of pain during both peri-operative and medical admissions. 

We provide a core nursing service Monday – Friday 8am - 4pm and provide some additional service from 4pm - 8pm most weekdays, and some Saturday mornings where possible. The Pain Consultants provide additional support with a consultant led ward round, on at least four days.

The highly educated Clinical Nurse Specialists in Pain Management at The London Clinic provide day to day safe and effective specialist pain management and advice for patients experiencing pain during their hospital stay.

We help patients who are not necessarily having surgery, but are suffering from short or long-term pain.

Mandy has over 25 years of clinical experience across the public and private sectors and has vast experience in Oncology, Haematology and Radiotherapy Nursing. She demonstrates high level clinical, technical and research skills through breadth and depth of knowledge, using creative reasoning, experience and vision to advance care.

Mandy actively participates in the education of undergraduate nurses who come to the hospital on placements to spend time with the Clinical Nurse Specialists. She is regularly mentioned in the positive feedback from patient’s satisfactory questionnaires.

Patient Speciality
Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery

Summary of role

• Managing caseload of patients for HPB Surgeon, assessing patients in clinic acting as a point of contact for any concerns in relation to diagnosis and surgery

Pre-operation

• Pre assessing patients prior to surgical intervention, facilitating tests, following up on outcomes and communicating results to the patient, escalating any issues to relevant medical teams
• Ensuring patient is fully aware of implications of surgery, reassuring and dealing with any queries relating to this
• Overseeing patients in hospital setting pre op and post operatively. Acting as patient advocate throughout.

Post-operation

• Reviewing patient in hospital setting, liaising and referring patient to appropriate services, physio, dietician to aid patients recovery
• Arranging discharge plans, continued wound care, clinic follow up, continued emotional support for patient and family.

Follow-up 

• Ongoing support and advice to patient following surgical discharge
• Continued management of any surveillance imaging/tests, facilitating any further need for clinical review.

As Lead Cancer Nurse, I provide leadership to Cancer Specialist Nurses, and support general nurses working with patients who have a cancer diagnosis.

I also work with other healthcare professionals who deliver cancer treatment.

My role sees me develop cancer services to improve pathways for patients to improve experience whilst they are undergoing treatment and during the follow-up process.

The clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in symptom management provide holistic palliative and supportive care advice, including the management of pain and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

We also give social, spiritual and emotional support by providing continuity of care through developing a relationship with each patient and his or her relatives and carers.

We also support patients who require complex discharge planning, liaising closely with local health care authorities, GPs, and specialist teams in the community, especially with the community palliative care nurses and hospices.

We offer follow-up bereavement calls to families and carers and we advise on further bereavement support in the communities.

Our role also involves support for staff in other departments around the delivery of care for these patients.

I am one of two Clinical Nurse Specialists, based in the Endoscopy Unit, who share a job organising Capsule Endoscopy tests (video capsule of the small bowel).

Our role is to contact patients who have been referred by a consultant for a Capsule Endoscopy test, to prepare them, carry out the test and ensure that results are delivered promptly to the referring doctor.

Pre-assessment is important for the safe test and good preparation. Explanations and instructions are given by telephone, email or a pre-assessment visit, to ensure that every patient is fully prepared for the test. Occasionally patients will need to stay in hospital during the test, but the majority of patients complete the test at home.

Some of the ways in which we may help you

• Give full explanation of the Capsule Endoscopy test
• Complete a pre-assessment prior to the test
• Assess and advise over concerns of complications or risks
• Provide preparatory information for the test, bowel prep and patency capsule
• Advise about getting authorization from the insurance company
• Provide one-to-one specialist nursing care during the Capsule Endoscopy test
• Liaise with the referring consultant or GP and provide a Capsule Endoscopy report prior to follow-up appointments.

Frances is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during normal office hours to support patients at key points through both surgical and oncology treatments. 

Frances supports patients and their families during and after appointments to help them understand their diagnosis and treatment options, to address any questions and concerns, and to give relevant and reliable information. 

In between appointments or treatment, patients can contact Frances, discuss their concerns over the phone or by email, or make an appointment to see her to talk things through.

Inpatients are seen on a regular basis on the wards so that psychological and practical support and information can be provided.  Once patients are discharged home, Frances maintains contact with them and their families, and continues to monitor, advise and support.

Once treatments are complete, Frances continues to stay in contact with patients if they wish, to help support them in adjusting to life after treatment.

The Lead Apheresis Nurse (CNS) is responsible for administering various apheresis procedures, management of the apheresis unit, and the training of apheresis staff with reference to all clinic policies and SOP’s and ensuring the collection service conforms to regulatory standards (HTA, JACIE and CQC).

The highly trained team of nurses and doctors work in conjunction with our on-site dietician, physiotherapists, pharmacists, complementary therapist, counsellors and clinical nurse specialists to provide comprehensive care to our patients and their families.

The apheresis collection centre performs over 500 peripheral blood stem cell apheresis collections annually.  Stem cells are collected from healthy volunteer donors via the registries for matched unrelated donor transplants in both the UK and overseas.

The London Clinic transplant patient collections may be autologous donations or from related donors. Matched unrelated donations for London Clinic patients would be collected at another centre via the registries.

Donor evaluation is the responsibility of The London Clinic. Donor evaluation, counselling and assessment and consent are done in the privacy of the consulting rooms. Mobilisation responsibility varies according to the SLA with the donor registries. The apheresis unit also performs leukapheresis procedures for oncology patients on clinical trials.

I am the Clinical Nurse Specialist with responsibility for patients with head and neck cancers.

My role is to be a key point of contact for you here at the Duchess of Devonshire Wing. I will be involved in the co-ordination and organisation of your individual treatment programme and work closely with other members of your treatment team.

Starting treatment for cancer can be a confusing and worrying time for you and your family and it is my role to help reduce the stress and anxiety that you may be experiencing. I will usually try to meet you at one of your first appointments at The London Clinic. 

If you are staying in the hospital overnight, please ask one of the nurses to contact me and I will try to visit you on the ward if I am able.

Some of the ways in which I may help you

• Answer any questions about your diagnosis
• Help you to understand your test results and discuss your treatment options
• Provide you with written information
• Assess and advise you if you are concerned about any side effects of treatment
• Advise you and your family how to manage your health at home both during and after your treatment
• Explain current research and information from websites and the media
• Offer support and signpost you to appropriate services, e.g. counselling
• Advise you on how to apply for financial welfare benefits
• Liaise with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) treating you
• Liaise with your GP and/or other hospitals as appropriate

Once you have completed your treatment I provide any ongoing information and support you may need

I am the liaison between the nursing team, consultants and physiotherapists to ensure that the patients are receiving the best care and treatment and the whole multidisciplinary team are working together.

I see Spinal patients before treatments or surgery, carry out pre assessments, talk them through their procedures, see them as an in-patient, liaise with the consultants, prepare for discharge and be the point of contact post discharge for support, advice, wound management and stitch/clip removal.

I support the spinal consultants, attending patient clinics for consultations, organising weekly Spinal MDT, complete audits and carry out relevant research with the consultants.

I see some Orthopaedic patients before surgery, carry out pre assessments and will follow the patient through their hospital journey from pre admission to post discharge.

I am a source of education and advice for the nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, students and provide teaching sessions to the HCAs at London Clinic.