Children & Young People’s Oncology Outreach Nurse Specialists (CYPOONS)

What are CYPOONS?

We are based at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, which is the principal treatment centre for childhood and teenage cancer care for the Northern Region.

We have developed specific expertise in palliative care and symptom management for children and young people with advanced cancer. Priority is given to providing an expert service for children and young people with progressive disease and their families, to enable them to be appropriately cared for in their preferred environment. For these children and young people, we provide 24/7 urgent on call service to ensure timely and effective symptom management, in partnership with local and regional services.

We also act as the key worker for many children and young people from diagnosis throughout their treatment, ensuring continuity of care.

What is our role?

Expert resource for children with progressive disease and their families
Case management of care for children and young people who will die from their cancer
Provision of support, information and guidance to reduce isolation and vulnerability and increase confidence, control and independence
Enabling and supporting care at home where this is the chosen place of care
Liaison and communication with other agencies
Utilising local services to support complex care at home. This includes training and supporting other health care professionals to promote delivery of care at home
Discharge planning in complex cases, discharge follow up, telephone advice and symptom management
The majority of the team are practising non-medical prescribers

Contacting us

Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm, we can be contacted by direct dial via office phones (numbers below) or via the team email on: [email protected]. We can also be contacted via hospital switchboard on 0191 233 6161 – ask for the CYPOONS on call.