Teenage and Young Adult Ambulatory Care Service

Ambulatory Care (AC) is based within the day care service on the third floor of the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre.

It provides the opportunity for many of our young patients to receive a range of treatments without having to stay in hospital overnight.

If your healthcare team think the AC is suitable for you, you will receive your care in a daycare setting and stay in nearby accommodation overnight. This could be either Paul’s House or the Cotton Rooms Hotel. You may even be able to stay at home with your family/carer. More information about staying at home is available further down on this page.

Paul’s House is a self-catering ‘home from home’ accommodation run and funded by Young Lives vs Cancer, the children and young people’s cancer charity. Young Lives vs Cancer tries to offer accommodation at Paul’s House to all suitable patients and families, subject to room availability.

The Cotton Rooms is a four-star patient hotel, which is run by University College London Hospitals (UCLH). The hotel is available to UCLH patients only.

Occasionally, if Paul’s House and Cotton Rooms are full you may need to stay on a ward or in a nearby hotel until a room becomes available.

One of our patients outside of Paul’s House​​​​

We will try to accommodate your wishes and preferences about where you’d like to stay. We will also consider the following points when deciding which site is best for you:

• your treatment
• any infections you may have
• how long you may need to stay
• room availability
• your mobility.

We will advise you where you will be staying on your first day.

One of the kitchens and the conservatory room in Paul’s House

Some of our Ambulatory Care patients stay at home during the night, depending on the type of treatment they are having. You may be able to stay at home if:

• your consultant agrees to this
• you live within a 60-minute travel time to UCLH (according to AA route planner)
• you have family or a friend available to drive you to the hospital at any time of the day or night
• you have a mobile and are contactable at all times.

• The goal of Ambulatory Care is to help you feel a bit more independent during your treatment. It will also offer you private time and space.
• You will continue to have full access to medical and nursing care. There will always be a senior nurse you can contact 24 hours a day in case you need advice or become unwell.
• You will receive the same treatment as you would on the ward, except that it will be scheduled between 8am and 6pm.
• You will be able to carry on with daily activities away from the hospital.
• Paul’s House, Cotton Rooms or a nearby hotel all offer a comfortable environment to stay while having your daily treatment.

• You will be responsible for taking your own oral medicines and your nurse will check daily that you are managing this. If you are unable to take your medicines independently, a family member or carer can do this for you. We will give you a reminder chart to make this process easier but please tell us if you are having any problems. We will also order your medicines for you so let us know when you need more.
• You will need to check your temperature at night or when you are not in the Unit. This is particularly important if you are currently having treatment or if you finished your treatment. We will show you and your carer how to do this.
• If needed, an advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) or a consultant will review you and make any necessary adjustments to your care.
• You can see your physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, counsellors and social workers as you need. Please ask your nurse about joint therapy sessions that may be running during your treatment in AC.
• You can spend time during the day in our social area for games and activities, as long as you don’t have any infections.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We always do our best to keep to time and provide the most efficient care possible. Please try to be patient if things take longer than expected.

The senior nurses on the inpatient wards T12 North (the Tower) and 2 East (Grafton Way Building) will assist you if you need any help overnight or out of hours.

Ambulatory Care 24-hour line: 020 3456 7111

It’s important that you contact our team at any time of the day or night if you develop any of the following symptoms:

• Shivers or hot flushes
• Temperatures close to or above 38 degrees
• Persistent vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Shortness of breath or difficulties with your breathing
• Redness and pain around your central line.

Depending on your symptoms, you may need to make your way to the hospital to be reviewed by your doctor or a nurse practitioner. Please bring your medicines with you if this is the case. Your healthcare team may decide to admit you to hospital if you require close monitoring and additional treatment that cannot be managed within the ambulatory setting. This may include fluids or antibiotics.

Please note:

You must phone us if you or your family member/carer experience:

• any infectious symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, diarrhoea or vomiting
• any symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever (temperature close to or above 38 degrees), continous cough, or loss or change in taste or smell.

This is especially important before coming to the Cancer Centre. We will advise you where to go for your assessment to minimise the risk of infection spreading to other patients.

If you have any infectious or COVID-19 symptoms and need to be admitted to hospital, you will be isolated from other patients. You will most likely need to stay on a different ward than your usual ward but your medical team will remain the same.

An emergency is any urgent situation where you need immediate medical or nursing assistance.

If you require urgent medical attention:

• Call 999 immediately (as you would if you were at home)
• State your symptoms and location
• If you have a carer/companion staying with you, they should call our team on 020 3456 7111 with an update.

• A thermometer to check your temperature when in the hotel or Paul’s House
• A mobile phone with charger
• Daywear, nightclothes and toiletries (please remember to keep your luggage as light as possible so that it may be easily transported from your accommodation to the hospital if necessary)
• All medicines you are taking, including prescription, over-the- counter, herbal, homoeopathic or traditional
• Books, magazines, games and gadgets
• Mobility aid(s) if you need them
• Food and snacks for your stay
• Reusable hot and cold drink cups, if you wish.

If you are receiving treatment in the Cancer Centre during lunch times, we will provide you with a meal. You can also buy snacks and convenience meals on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre.

Paul’s House is a self-catering facility. It includes several spacious kitchens with various appliances, allocated cupboard space and communal dining areas.

The Cotton Rooms Hotel and nearby hotels provide breakfast for patients and their companion. As catering facilities are limited at the hotel, meal vouchers (to the value of £6) are available to buy lunch or dinner from the main hospital canteen.

There is a cafe on the ground floor of Grafton Way Building and an M&S on the corner of Grafton Way and Tottenham Court Road.

There are also plenty of supermarkets, cafes and restaurants around the UCLH. Or, if you wish, you may choose to bring some food from home for your stay.

All accommodation providers have rooms and facilities suitable for wheelchair access or for those unable to climb stairs.

If your treatment requires you to carry a backpack, we will assess your ability to do this safely before you start Ambulatory Care.

Checking into the Cotton Rooms Hotel

• You may check into your room after 2pm.
• We will cover the cost of your room and breakfast for both you and your companion.
• We will not cover any extra expenses such as laundry services

or any non-accidental damage to the hotel during your stay. You will need to pay these additional costs when checking out of the hotel.

Checking out of the Cotton Rooms Hotel

• You will need to check out of your room at 11am.
• If you need to go into hospital during your stay in AC, you or your carer/companion must check out at the hotel reception as soon as possible. If you are unable to do this, please inform the nursing staff who will be happy to do this on your behalf.
• If you are admitted to hospital after 4pm your carer/companion may stay in the hotel overnight, but they must check out after breakfast the following morning.
• Unfortunately, if you are admitted to hospital before 4pm we cannot offer hotel accommodation for your carer/companion for that night.

Checking into Paul’s House

• You will need to check into your room by 4pm.
• The Paul’s House team will show you around Paul’s House when you arrive.

Checking out of Paul’s House

• Paul’s House staff will advise you what time you need to check out.
• Please leave your room key in the drop box.

When discharged from Ambulatory Care:

• You will receive a discharge letter containing information about:
  • your current cycle of treatment
  • what to do and who to call if you have any questions or concerns
  • your next clinic appointment
  • your next cycle of chemotherapy.
• We will give you dates for blood tests (if this applies to you).
• We will organise for community nurses to visit you for your weekly central line care, blood tests and dressing changes (if this applies to you).

Please contact us if you need help, advice or assistance at any time. There will always be someone to answer your call 24 hours a day.

• Ambulatory Care 24-hour line (to use when undergoing treatment): 020 3456 7111

• Ambulatory Care, 3 floor Cancer Centre (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm) 020 3447 1837

• TYA nurse in charge (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm)  07890 904877

Or you can contact your CNS as you would usually do during working hours.

My CNS is       .......................................................................................

Telephone: .......................................................................................

In an emergency dial 999 for an ambulance.

Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Daycare Service

3rd Floor, University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre

Huntley Street London WC1E 6AG

Grafton Way Building

1 Grafton Way London WC1E 6JN

Paul’s House Huntley Street London WC1E 6DD

Cotton Rooms

1 University Street London WC1E 6JQ

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH)

235 Euston Road London NW1 2BU