Cancer Assessment Unit (CAU)

We manage all triage calls in hours on the unit and support the wards with these calls out of hours. CAU is part of the wider Acute Oncology Service (AOS) provided by the Trust. It involves emergency assessment and in-patient management of:

• Patients who have a cancer diagnosis and are known to Oncology or Haematology
• Patients with the Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression (MSCC)

The unit has nine assessment beds, including one side room, equipped to treat emergency patients, and accepts patients needing urgent care due to a complication of their cancer or treatment from 08:30 to 18:00, Monday to Friday. The patient will be advised whether the assessment will take place in the Cancer Assessment Unit or in the Emergency Department by a member of the AOS team.

Patients may also stay at the unit for the day and then go home or be admitted to a ward if they require a longer stay. When admission is necessary, the CAU team will liaise with the senior clinical team to ensure the process is as smooth and easy for the patient as possible.

Food and snacks are available at CAU, and you can make a hot drink at our self-service drinks machine, but feel free to bring anything you may like to eat or drink with you.

Telephone triage

The CAU will provide the patient advice line service for Oncology and Haematology patients between 07:30 and 20:30, Monday to Sunday, and between 07:30 and 18:00 on Bank Holidays. An acute oncology nurse will also be available to answer the patient advice line overnight from Monday to Sunday.