Haematology Services

The Haematology Department provides a clinical haematology, haem-oncology 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.

The Haematology department provides 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, haemochromatosis, myelo-proliferative neoplasms, bone marrow failure syndromes, and cancers of the blood, bone marrow and lymph node.

We have several dedicated outpatient clinics to see new and review patients. The Haematology and oncology services share day-case facilities at the MacDermott Day Unit.  We carry out procedures such as lumbar puncture, intrathecal chemotherapy and bone marrow biopsies. The MacDermott Day Unit provides comprehensive assessment, treatment and after-care for patients undergoing chemotherapy /immunotherapy, transfusion of blood, platelet and immunoglobulins, and supportive therapy.

The Haematology Department has close links to the Queen’s University of Belfast. We are involved in the undergraduate and postgraduate training. We have close ties with the Belfast Trust and Southern Trust, with bi-weekly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings via tele-conferencing. We are part of NI Cancer Network and NI Pathology network, with extensive shared guidelines and best practice.

---

• Haematology Facilities and Clinical area

  Outpatient Clinics – in Ulster, Ards and Bangor Hospitals.

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

  MacDermott Day Unit – houses the Rapid Access Assessment Hub, treatment areas, procedures rooms and satellite pharmacy.

  Tele-conferencing for leukaemia and lymphoma MDMs
  
  Medical Laboratories – Haematology lab, coagulation lab and Blood Bank.

• Cancer information

  Cancer patients who have recently received anti-cancer therapy and have become unwell, please contact the 24-hour helpline immediately or dial 999.

  If you are due admission for in-patient chemotherapy, please ring Sister or Nurse-in –charge in 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 typically a Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist.

• Referral Source

  Red flag referral guidelines

  GP electronic referrals via:

  Clinical Communications Gateway for  e- triage

  GP referrals by post to:

  Consultant Haematologist On Call
  C/O Partial Booking Office
  Ulster Hospital Dundonald
  Belfast BT16 1RH

  Hospital doctor referrals by:

  Internal post to:

  Consultant Haematologist On Call
  Office 1, Level  4
  Critical Care Complex
  Ulster Hospital Dundonald
  Belfast BT16 1RH

  Telephone advice for urgent cases:

  Ring switchboard to speak to on-call haematology team.

  GPs and Hospital doctors can contact Consultant Haematologist On-call for urgent clinical advice via Switchboard Tel (028) 9048 4511.