Dr Amandeep Samrai is a Clinical Psychologist and she is part of the East Midlands regional Children and Young Person’s Integrated Cancer Service team (CYPICS). Amandeep is based at Queens Medical Centre. A Clinical Psychologist is trained to understand how people think, feel and behave. 

Amandeep can provide specialist psychological interventions for children and young people aged up to 18 years old, who have a cancer diagnosis and who are either receiving treatment at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, or who are post treatment and/or are receiving palliative care.  Interventions may also be offered to parents. Common reasons to be seen by Clinical Psychology include: adjustment to the diagnosis, anxiety, anger, difficulty taking medication/s, low mood, changes in relationships, school/college worries, coping after treatment has finished and living with uncertainty. If a cancer diagnosis is recent, it is advised to allow for a period of adjustment before being seen.

Young people can be seen whilst they are an inpatient at Queens Medical Centre. Outpatient appointments will be held either via telephone, video call or face to face at Queens Medical Centre. 

Please contact any member of the team and they will be able to refer to Amandeep, or discuss any concerns you might have. There is also a service information leaflet that provides an outline of support that can be accessed.

Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nurse (POON)/Macmillan Nurse

The POON also known as a ‘Macmillan’ nurse can offer expert knowledge and advice about children’s cancers and their treatment. Their aim is to provide ongoing care, education and support for children / young people diagnosed with cancer and their families. They work closely with hospital professionals and community services (including health, education and social services) to ensure co-ordination and continuity of care. They can also help the child or young person continue their education by providing the school with the information they need to support the child or young person on their return to school.

Neuro-Oncology Outreach Nurse

The neuro-oncology outreach nurse will be introduced to you as soon as possible after your child’s diagnosis.  Their role is to assess your needs as a family, be a link between the hospital and home, and provide ongoing support. They can also help the child or young person continue their education by providing the school with the information they need to support the child or young person on their return to school.

Children's Community Nurses

Children’s community nurses will also be involved in the ongoing care of your child once they have been discharged home. Community nurses may be asked by the oncology team to come to your home (with your permission) to provide cares, such as, taking blood from your child’s central line, changing dressings, giving intravenous medications. The POON/Macmillan nurse and community teams work together with the hospital to ensure that your child receives the care and support they need at home.

At both sites of the PTC, the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham and the Leicester Royal Infirmary there are Teenage and Young Adult facilities. This means there are designated bed spaces for inpatients age 13 and over in the Teenage Cancer Trust unit, with the use of the chill out zone and a Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Co-coordinator (YSC) to facilitate activities and support whilst they are in hospital. There is a free WIFI access code that can be used by teenagers and young adults please speak with the YSC for details.

A younger patient may temporarily be placed in a bed in the Teenage Cancer Trust unit, but in view of the importance of peer support for this age group, would be moved if there is a teenager requiring a bed. A younger patient will not have access to the chill out room.

Young Lives vs Cancer is the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer, and their families. Young Lives vs Cancer can offer financial grants and help families secure the benefits they are entitled to, to help with the costs of cancer. They can help with employment issues for example reducing hours and/or flexible working. Young Lives vs Cancer offer support in continuing education and may liaise with schools and parents for your child to keep up with studies and friends. They have information resources on life during and after treatment and free accommodation at their Home from Home, helping families to stay together. You will be introduced to a member of the Young Lives vs Cancer team who will talk you through their role and how they can help during your child’s treatment.

PASIC is an East Midlands based charity that works to provide emotional, practical, and social support to families of children and young people with cancer up to 18 years of age who are being treated at Nottingham Children’s Hospital and Leicester Children’s Hospital and associated Shared Care Units. The charity fund a Family Support Worker on the children’s oncology/haematology wards at both Nottingham and Leicester Children’s Hospitals. The Support Workers are there for the families on the wards, to offer information, support groups, advice and signposting. PASIC help reduce isolation, increase self-confidence and strengthen the family unit through activities and trips. They offer grants to families having difficulty coping with financial pressures of caring for a seriously ill child. They support over 400 children and young people affected by cancer, and continue to support families post treatment.

A chaplaincy service is available in each hospital and can provide pastoral, spiritual and religious support. If you would like more information on this service please ask a member of staff.

At times throughout your child’s treatment they may need to take medication at home.  If the medication needs to continue you should order a repeat prescription from your GP surgery.

Once your child has started a new medication you will be sent home with a 28 day supply, this gives the GP time to organise repeat orders. After this supply, you need to contact your GP for continued prescriptions, giving as much notice as possible. You don’t need to call your GP to order these. Please use the NHS app to order.

In order to ensure this process works well, please bring all your child’s medications to all appointments so we can regularly review your regular medication.

Please ensure you obtain a copy of all discharge summaries, these will automatically be sent to your GP, but it will be good for you to show the surgery a copy should they request this.

Please include the following information in all repeat prescription requests; name of medication, dose, strength of medication, how many times a day and which days the medication is taken, liquid or tablets, patients full name, DOB, patient hospital number and up to date contact number.

There are a small minority of medications that the GP can’t prescribe, we will let you know if your child is on any medications that you will need to continue to order from us. There is also a list below:

• APREPITANT
• AVATROMBOPAG/ ELTROMBOPAG
• DEFERASIROX (EXJADE)
• DERMOGESIC COLD SPRAY
• DEXAMETHASONE
• LENOGRASTIM
• MELATONIN
• MERCAPTOPURINE
• METHOTREXATE
• OCTISAN WASH & BACTROBAN NASAL OINTMENT
• POTASSIUM IODIDE
• PREDNISOLONE
• ROMIPLOSTIM

If you have any medications, as per above, that you need to order from us, for;

Nottingham University Hospital please use the link below:

Paediatric Oncology Daycare Prescription Requests

University Hospitals of Leicester please use the link below:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You must have a minimum of 5 days supply left of your medication to place a repeat prescription.  Requests less than 48 hours may not be processed via these routes.