This page explains what you can expect before, during and after your treatment in Chemotherapy Daycare. If you have any questions or worries about your treatment or information on this page, please speak to the team looking after you.
Chemotherapy Daycare is located on the second floor of the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. It consists of 38 treatment spaces made up of beds, chairs and side rooms. We will advise you where you will receive your treatment after we assess you. This will be based on your individual need.
We are open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays.
We offer morning and afternoon treatment slots. We will do our best to offer you the treatment slot you request, but it may not always be possible. Your first treatment should be booked for a morning slot (before 1pm). Any following treatments that take three hours or less will be booked for the afternoon.
Sometimes we may need to move your treatment to another day or time. If this is the case, we will contact you to let you know of the changes.
We offer chemotherapy, immunotherapy and monoclonal antibody treatments. You may hear your healthcare team refer to them as ‘systemic anti-cancer treatment’. Your healthcare team will give you detailed information about the type of treatment you will have and answer your questions.
The treatment we offer in Chemotherapy Daycare is available to people affected by cancer and blood conditions, and patients who are taking part in clinical trials.
Who will look after me?
There are up to 14 chemotherapy nurses and two healthcare assistants in Chemotherapy Daycare. We will tell you who will look after you during your treatment when you arrive.
Please watch our Chemotherapy Education videos before you start your treatment. They include information about what to expect before, during and after your treatment. The videos are available on our website at uclh.nhs.uk/chemo.
You can watch the videos at home or while you’re waiting for your treatment in Chemotherapy Daycare. Please ask the receptionist or the nurse in charge if you need help with viewing them.
If you have difficulty getting to the Cancer Centre for your treatment, you can contact the transport assessment team to find out if you qualify for hospital transport.
Telephone: 020 3456 7010 (8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday).
Once your treatment has been agreed by your doctor, you will receive a letter or telephone call to confirm your appointment in Chemotherapy Daycare.
Treatment is given in cycles. Each cycle is made up of the treatment and rest time to allow your body to recover. Depending on the treatment you’re having, each cycle may take three or four weeks. You may need to come to the Cancer Centre more than once within each cycle. We will go through your specific treatment days with you.
Your clinic appointments
You will have regular reviews with your clinical team and a pharmacist throughout your treatment.
Tests needed before your treatment appointments
You will need to have some routine blood tests before all your treatment appointments. You can have these tests at the Cancer Centre when you attend your clinic appointment, or we will arrange them for you a few days before your treatment is due.
Some patients need to have a blood test on the day of their treatment. If this is the case, we will ask you to arrive early for your appointment and have your blood test first. This will help to reduce delays in receiving your treatment.
Please note: It can take between 30 minutes and two hours for your results to be available. If you have arranged to have your blood tests at your local hospital, you will need to bring a copy of your blood test result to your appointment. If you don’t have a copy, we may have to do another blood test at the Cancer Centre.
You may also need to do other tests before your treatment, such as a urine test or ECG (a test to check the rhythm of your heart).
What to bring with you to your treatment appointment
- Any medicines that you may need to take throughout the day.
- A book, laptop or tablet to use while having treatment. Free wi-fi is available throughout Chemotherapy Daycare. Please ask at reception for login details.
There is always a senior nurse on duty. If you have any queries or wish to speak to them about any concerns, just ask the nurse looking after you.
As space is limited in Chemotherapy Daycare, you can bring one visitor with you to your appointment. Any additional visitors will need to wait on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre.
For health and safety reasons we cannot permit children in the unit at any time. Please make sure you have arranged childcare for the duration of your treatment.
Step 1 – Check in with the receptionist
The receptionist will check if your name and contact details are correct on our system. They will then check you in and give you an ID band to wear during your treatment. If you need help to put it on, ask your nurse.
The receptionist will then ask you to take a seat in the waiting area. The nurse in charge on the day will know that you have arrived and will make sure everything is in place for your treatment.
The receptionist may also tell you about the UCLH portal called MyCareUCLH, where you can access your appointments and medical records. If you would like them to, they can help you set it up on your phone. For more information about the portal, read the page ‘MyCareUCLH'.
Please note: The receptionist can only check you in 15 minutes before your appointment time. If you arrive earlier than that, please wait on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre.
Step 2 – Preparing your treatment
A nurse or nursing assistant will check your weight, blood pressure, breathing rate, pulse, oxygen levels and temperature. If needed, you may have a cannula (a thin tube) inserted into a vein in your arm, ready for your treatment. If you have a PICC line or a Portacath, a nurse will check it. We will then ask you to wait while your nurse makes sure everything is ready for you to receive your treatment.
Your cancer treatment is made specifically for you and cannot always be made in advance. If it needs to be made on the day of your treatment or after you arrive to the unit, it can take at least 90 minutes to prepare it once it has been authorised. If you receive treatment as part of a trial, it may take a couple of hours for it to be made. When everything is ready and the nurse is available, you will be able to start your treatment.
Please note: We will aim to treat you as near to your appointment time as possible but sometimes there may be a delay in starting your treatment. This could be because of delays in obtaining your blood test results or authorising your treatment, or due to staff shortages. You may also need to be reviewed by a doctor before your treatment can be authorised. Please be patient – we will do our best to keep you updated about any potential delays.
Step 3 – During your treatment
Treatment length can vary and can be quite short or take several hours. Giving you the treatment safely is our priority. If you have any questions or concerns about your treatment before, during or after it is given, please talk to your nurse.
Drinking water and hot drinks are available throughout the day. We also provide a lunchtime meal service if you are being treated during lunch. If you prefer, you can bring your own food and drink to have during your treatment. Please don’t bring food containing nuts as this can cause a severe allergic reaction in other patients or staff. Please clear away any rubbish before you leave Chemotherapy Daycare.
Treatment during bank holidays
Chemotherapy Daycare is open on bank holidays to shorten the time people have to wait for their treatment. But there may be delays if your treatment has been booked on a bank holiday, due to a reduced level of services.
Please note:
- If you are unsure why you are waiting, or if your appointment is more than 30 minutes late, please speak to the receptionist.
- Some treatments can take longer to prepare than others; this is why you may wait longer to be treated than other patients in the waiting area.
- Delays in starting treatment are possible when we are waiting for test results, or for prescriptions or treatments to be made up.
Before you go home, please make sure that your next treatment appointment and any additional appointments have been booked. If there are any medicines you need to take at home, your nurse will give them to you before you leave, or you will collect them from Rowlands Pharmacy on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre. We will also give you a reminder chart for your medicines.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please contact us on 020 3447 3905 and select option three. You will then be put through to our receptionist who can cancel or delay your appointment. It’s important that you call between 8am and 5pm (Monday to Friday).
Please have your hospital number ready when you contact us.
There is a nurse available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to give you advice if you feel unwell. Please contact us on 020 3447 3905 and select option 6. If you are asked to leave a message, please speak slowly and clearly when giving your details.
Please don’t select option two for general enquiries, making or changing appointments, or for surgical queries. Listen to the instructions and choose the right option for your query.
Chemotherapy daycare is based at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre.
The address is:
Chemotherapy Daycare, University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
Huntley Street, London WC1E 6AG
Telephone: 020 3447 3905
Email: uclh.
You can also contact your CNS for help and advice that is not related directly to your cancer treatment. You may wish to make a note of their name and contact phone number (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Macmillan Support and Information Service
The Macmillan Support and Information Service, located on the ground floor of the Cancer Centre, offers advice, support and information to anyone affected by cancer or a blood condition. You can drop in any time between 9am and 4.45pm Monday to Friday, or call 020 3447 8663. For more information about the service, visit uclh.nhs.uk/
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS is a patient-friendly, easy-to-access service designed to provide a personal contact point to assist patients, relatives and carers. If you have a problem that you have not been able to resolve, PALS can help you. The University College Hospital PALS office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Telephone: 020 3447 3042
Email: uclh.
Find out more on our PALS web page.
Chemotherapy videos
You can find out more about the chemotherapy service at UCLH, and access chemotherapy educational videos, on our chemotherapy service page.
Services
Page last updated: 02 December 2024
Review due: 30 November 2025