Haematology Services

The Haematology Department provides clinical and laboratory services for the South Eastern Trust. The Ulster Hospital is a Cancer Unit with a busy 24-hour Emergency Department, Acute Medical Specialties, Coronary Care, Maternity, Renal Dialyses, Surgery, Theatre and ICU, all dependent on the provision of an efficient haematology service.

We provide a wide range of services for the diagnosis and management of patients with blood disorders. This includes general haematology, pre-test clinical advice, interpretation of results, clotting / thrombotic disorders, obstetric haematology, myelo-proliferative neoplasms, bone marrow failure syndromes, and cancers of the blood, bone marrow and lymph node.

We have several dedicated outpatient and virtual (telephone) clinics to assess patients. The Haematology and Solid Tumour services share Chemo Day facilities at the Macmillan/MacDermott Unit.  Here we carry out chemo assessment and procedures such as bone marrow biopsy.  The MacDermott Unit staff deliver chemotherapy / immunotherapy, transfusion of blood/ platelet / immunoglobulins, supportive therapy and aftercare.

Haematology Department has close link to the Queen’s University of Belfast. We participate in undergraduate and postgraduate training. Haemato-oncologists work closely with the Belfast Trust and Southern Trust, with bi-weekly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings via video-conference. We are part of NI Cancer Network and NI Pathology network, with extensive shared guidelines and best practice.

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• Haematology Facilities and Clinical area

  Outpatient Clinics – Consultants and Nurse-led.

  Ulster Hospital Inpatient Ward Block (IWB), Ward 6A – all single rooms with en-suite, including two ultra-clean rooms.

  Macmillan/MacDermott Unit – houses the Rapid-Access Assessment “Triage Hub”, treatment areas, procedures rooms and satellite Cancer Pharmacy.

  Video-conference for lymphoma /myeloma/ leukaemia MDMs
  
  Medical Laboratories – UKAS-accredited Haematology lab, coagulation lab and Blood Bank are based in the Ulster Hospital.

  Nurse-Led Venesection Service in Community Hospitals.

  Clinical Nurse Specialist Nurse Led Clinics – Holistic Needs Assessments and reviews for patients with haematological diagnoses. You will be referred by one of the doctors for this service.

• Cancer information

  Cancer patients who have recently received anti-cancer therapy and have become unwell, please ring your helpline provided 24/7 immediately or dial 999.

  If you are due admission for in-patient chemotherapy, please ring Sister or Nurse-in –charge, Ulster Hospital IWB ward 6A via Switchboard Tel: (028) 9048 4511

  If you have recently been given a diagnosis of haematological cancer by one of our Haematology doctors, you can obtain more information by contacting your Key Worker, who is a Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist.

• Referral Source

  GP electronic referrals via CCG: for e- triage on the EPIC platform.

  Hospital Doctor referrals via “ADD ORDER” on EPIC platform:  “inpatients Consult to Haematology”