The NGOC provides a specialist commissioned Level 3 gynaecological cancer service. This service provides care for women who live within the region covered by Northern Cancer Alliance.
About the service
The Northern Gynaecological Oncology Centre (NGOC) Team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead is a unique team.
The medical team consists, at Consultant level, of five Consultant Gynaecological Oncologists. The consultant team works alongside the specialist junior doctor team which is made up of two Subspecialty fellows, three Clinical Research fellows, two Clinical fellows and one Clinical Teaching fellow.
The senior (NGOC) Nursing team consists of two Gynaecological Oncology Clinical Nurse specialists, one Colposcopy Nurse Specialist and Ward-based as well as Clinic-based senior specialist Nursing staff. They are supported by a team of Nurses and Health Care Assistants who are committed to working in Gynaecological-oncology.
However, we are just a small part of the wider Multi-disciplinary team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Regional Northern Gynae-Oncology network. In particular the NGOC works closely with colleagues in medical oncology, clinical oncology, pathology, radiology, clinical nurse specialists, palliative care, gastro-intestinal surgeons, vascular surgeons, urologists and hepato-biliary surgeons.
Where is the service based?
The NGOC team is based on our specialist Ward in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead. Many patients are admitted on the day of surgery to the Peter Smith Surgery Centre in the same wing of the hospital.
All our out-patients clinics (for patients with cancer/suspected cancer/pre-cancer /colposcopy/ vulval skin surveillance) are presently held in the “Colposcopy clinic” in the Purple zone of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
What does the service do?
In 1948, the NGOC was the first UK gynaecological cancer centre to be established. The NGOC provides a specialist commissioned Level 3 gynaecological cancer service. This service provides care for women who live within the region covered by Northern Cancer Alliance. The Northern Cancer Alliance patient catchment area extends across the North and the North East of England and includes Cumbria. This covers a population of approximately 2.6 million people (photo of catchment area attached)
The vision of the NGOC is “Taking care, transforming lives, driving advances and delivering excellence for every woman with gynaecological cancer”. To fulfil this vision, we have a dedicated team offering individualised care.
Central to care are the I.C.O.R.E. values-based behaviour of the Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust: Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect and Engagement.
Our mission for providing care is centred on three pillars: Care of patients, Care of each other, Care of tomorrow.
This mission underpins our expertise in teaching, training, and research. The NGOC has a strong track record of successful career progression to Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist Posts for our subspecialty trained gynaecological oncology trainees. Indeed, all of our present Consultant Gynaecological Oncologists trained in our internationally renowned unit.
Services we offer
Surgery
The NGOC offers specialist surgical techniques to facilitate accurate diagnosis, staging and treatment of suspected/known Gynaecological cancers, by our specially trained Gynaecological Oncology Surgeons. There are 13 operating sessions per week.
We offer ultra-radical surgical to patients, for whom this type of surgery is appropriate. Treatments offered for primary management or recurrent disease include ultra-radical ovarian cancer surgery such as upper abdominal procedures, e.g. removal of the spleen or full liver mobilisation; bowel resection; and exenteration. See link for further patient information-
The NGOC offers a wide range of open and laparoscopic operations. Minimal access surgery is available for women with endometrial, early ovarian and selected cases of cervical cancer.
The NGOC centre has expertise in the innovative Indo-Cyanine Green sentinel lymph node assessment for cervical, endometrial and vulva cancer surgery, within minimal access or open operations.
The NGOC centre also offers the novel electro-chemotherapy treatment of recurrent vulval cancer to patients in a palliative setting. Our patients are offered pre-operative assessment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The NGOC centre also offers the novel electro-chemotherapy treatment of recurrent vulval cancer to patients in a palliative setting.
Our patients are offered pre-operative assessment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital which includes the specialist C.P.E.X. (Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Testing) assessment with Consultant Anaesthetist overview, prior to surgery.
Multidisciplinary team
To ensure optimal treatment for all women with gynaecological cancer, the NGOC team works collaboratively with colleagues in the region. There is a combination of on-site service provision and robust service-line agreements with specialist regional services, to provide a comprehensive gynaecological oncology service. This includes medical and clinical oncology services. Our Consultant Clinical Oncologists work across sites- at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Clinical and medical oncology is based at the Northern cancer centre at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and at the Cumbria Royal Infirmary in Carlisle. Outpatient chemotherapy is offered to women at the chemotherapy day unit in Gateshead.
Nurse specialist support
Throughout the journey from diagnosis onwards, women are supported by our experienced Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), who are key in providing high level care within the service role of CNS.
Colposcopy
IThis is a service for women and people with a cervix from the local Gateshead population who are referred following an abnormal cervical screening test. This is led by the B.S.C.C.P. accredited Nurse Colposcopist and Medical team.To offer diagnostic services within the NHS cervical screening service and for those who are referred for evaluation of potential pre-cancer changes in the vagina or cervix.
Vulva clinic
The NGOC also provides the regional Vulva clinic services of the diagnosis and surveillance of cancerous and non-cancerous vulval skin lesions or multifocal pre-cancerous gynaecological disease.
Research
We aim to offer patients the opportunity to take part in research trials, that may be of benefit to them. Our service has evidence of ongoing research output, with recruitment to national and international clinical trials including those on the NIHR portfolio, clinical research, tissue collection to a centralised biobank and laboratory based translational research projects.
We have a long history of clinic research fellows undertaking higher degrees (PhD, MD, MSc) at Newcastle University.
Contact us
Further contact details
If you have any queries about letters, appointments or accommodation, please contact your consultant’s secretary between Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
Miss Tia Greenup:
(0191) 445 6148
Secretary to: Miss Ratnavelu, Miss C Ang & Mr S Rundle
Mrs Lisa Matthews:
(0191) 445 6146
Secretary to : Mr A Metin, Mr P Korompelis & Miss T Vergeldte
Ward 26:
(0191) 445 3004
For urgent enquires only 24hrs/ 7 days a week