Your Visit and Appointments
When you are diagnosed with cancer, a group of specialists meet at a multi-disciplinary team meeting (MDT). In this meeting they will discuss treatment options suitable for you.
You will then be invited to an appointment with a specialist doctor (consultant oncologist) or consultant radiographer. You can bring someone with you to this appointment. The MDT recommendations and possible treatment options will be shared with you. If the outcome is that you need radiotherapy (or a combination of radiotherapy and other treatments), they will go through risks and benefits and ask you to sign a consent form. If you need radiotherapy, the consultant will send us a referral.
Before we can make your radiotherapy appointments, our bookings team must receive the referral and written consent form. We would usually receive this referral within 2 weeks of your consultation.
If you are expecting radiotherapy but are concerned that you have not received an appointment from us, please call oncology outpatients.
Poole: 0300 019 2489
Dorchester switchboard: 01305 251150 (ask for Robert White Oncology Outpatients Department)
Once we have the referral from the consultant, we will send you an appointment to have your treatment mapped out (Pre-treatment planning).
In most cases, radiotherapy treatment will then start around 1-2 weeks after this planning appointment.
Before you start radiotherapy treatment we need to map and measure the treatment area (pre-treatment planning). This appointment typically takes between 1-3 hours depending on the procedure. Your appointment letter will let you know how much time to allow for this appointment along with any preparation instructions. See more about the planning procedures here.
Each radiotherapy treatment appointment will take between 10 and 30 minutes. We suggest that you allow at least 1 hour following your published treatment time to allow for any unavoidable delays.
For more information about what to expect during your radiotherapy treatment click here.
To speak to someone about your radiotherapy appointments you can contact the bookings team on 0300 019 8789.
Although we try our best to avoid delays, you may wish to bring a book, magazine or mobile to pass the time.
We suggest that you also bring
- Regular medication doses that you might need during your visit
- A refillable water bottle to use at our water dispensers
- Your own long dressing gown and slippers
- Snacks or food (especially if your appointment is around mealtimes or you are diabetic).
Keeping hydrated is very important and helps the body to cope and recover from radiotherapy. Unless you are on a medically advised fluid restriction, we advise that you drink up to 2 litres of fluids (3 to 4 pints) each day.
Please eat normally unless you have been advised otherwise. If your condition makes this difficult then please let us know.
Note: Some radiotherapy procedures require fasting (no food or drink) 2 hours before radiotherapy treatment. The department will let you know if this applies to you.
You will not be radioactive following radiotherapy unless you are receiving prostate low dose rate brachytherapy (a specialist type of internal source radiotherapy). You will be informed of the procedures to follow if you are having this type of brachytherapy treatment.
Radiation can cause damage to an unborn baby. If you are 55 years old or under, we must confirm by law that there is no possibility you could be pregnant.
Mobile phones are permitted in our department. Please consider other patients around you by using earphones when listening or watching audio/video content.
CCTV is used to monitor waiting rooms.
When undergoing any procedures using radiation you will be alone in the treatment room for a short time. Therapeutic radiographers will be able to monitor you using live CCTV from a controlled area outside of the treatment room. They are also able to hear you and can speak to you on an intercom.
CCTV footage of the treatment rooms can only be viewed by authorised persons and is not recorded or broadcasted.
For reasons of confidentiality and safety, the trust does not allow visitors to take photos or make audio recordings on the premises so please ask permission before taking any photos or videos of our department.
The exception to this is where you want to celebrate coming to the end of your radiotherapy by ringing the bell!! We encourage taking photos of this happy event as long as other patients are not in your shots!!
Although you will get used to our names and faces, we cannot guarantee that a particular staff member or team will be available for your appointments. Our highly trained professional team consists of staff from many different cultures and backgrounds. You may be treated by male or female radiographers. We will always endeavour to treat you with the dignity, respect and care that you deserve.
For more about our team click here.
We are a teaching hospital therefore we host university students and apprentices. Practical experience is an essential part of training to become a radiographer or radiography assistant. Students are expected to actively participate in your care as part of our team. Due to radiation rules, they are fully supervised by qualified radiographers at all times.
We may occasionally host work experience students over the age of 16 years in our department. If a work experience student is in attendance, you will be asked permission if they are allowed to observe your procedure in the treatment room.
You are welcome to bring one adult visitor to your appointment. Unfortunately, we have no waiting areas suitable for children but please speak to the radiographers if you need to bring children with you to your appointment.
Due to radiation protection rules we would not normally allow visitors or chaperones into the CT planning or treatment rooms.
We welcome registered guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs with an ADUK ID card.
For health and safety and infection control reasons, no other animals are allowed in the radiotherapy department.
When you attend with a registered animal, you will be required to provide evidence of registration, vaccinations and feeding details. The handler must also have public liability insurance. We regret that without this evidence provided, we cannot allow animals into the oncology outpatients or radiotherapy departments.
We are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and save NHS money so that it can be put back into radiotherapy services. These are some of the ways in which you can help us.
- Bring your own dressing gown and slippers (to reduce the number of hospital gowns that need laundering).
- Bring a reusable cup to use at our water fountains (to reduce single use plastic cups).
- Decline duplicate leaflets that you already have (help us save a tree!).
- Remember to bring medications you will need during your visit. For example, microenemas or regular pain relief.
