Meet the teams

A senior doctor with specialist experience in young people's cancer leads the team with the Teenage Cancer Trust Lead Nurse. You may not meet him/her as your treatment will be directed by your own cancer specialist. 

He/she is responsible for making sure the service works to the highest possible standards and to intervene if serious problems arise.  You or your family can ask to meet the TYA Lead Clinician if you feel your concerns are not being dealt with as you would like.

The TYA Nurse Consultant  can help with any problems you may encounter with your care or with the service. Alongside the TYA Lead Clinician the Nurse Consultant's  role is to lead the TYA service and ensure that high standards of care are adhered to at all times. You and your family can ask to meet the Teenage Cancer Trust Nurse Consultant if you feel your concerns are not being dealt with as you would like.

The TYA Specialist Nurse can provide advice, support, advocacy and help from other services for you and your family. The Specialist Nurse also has an active role in providing education and training for staff in caring for this unique group of patients.

This role is non-medical and provides you with individually tailored support, activities on and off the unit and any extra advice or information you may need. She is here to listen if you'd like to talk about your experiences of cancer, about life outside your treatment and talk to about anything else that affects you and your wellbeing - things like sex and relationships, body image and self-esteem, careers and work experience, drugs and alcohol... so whether you want a chat, a distraction, or a change of scenery, have a chat with your YSC!

Your Social Worker is able to provide a wide range of support to you and the people who are important to you, to help you cope with the emotional impact of cancer. They will help you deal with any concerns you may have around your finances (help with accessing grants and benefits,) employers, school, college, university, and housing. 

Your Social Worker may also be able to help with practical issues such as getting to and from hospital, parking and accessing accommodation nearby. Whatever is worrying you, you can have a chat with your Social Worker and they'll do what they can to help.

Clinical Psychologists provide support, psychological assessment and interventions for young people with cancer. This support may be offered to you, and your family, if you are struggling with difficult feelings in relation to cancer. This may be adjusting to what having cancer means to you, or challenges with the treatments you are undergoing and the impact they may have (e.g. on relationships, self-esteem or body-image) or adjusting to the end of treatment. 

If you think this would be beneficial please speak to a member of the TYA Team about the support available. If your team thinks that you would benefit from a referral to a Clinical Psychologist, this will only be made after discussion and agreement from you.