Haematology Symptom Urgent Review Clinic

A pilot project developing a Haematology Symptom Urgent Review Clinic (Haem-SURC) utilising a decentralised model

Monash Health Haematology has a large malignant haematology portfolio and providing a comprehensive haematology services including delivery of complex chemoimmunotherapy regimens, autologous stem cell transplantation and CAR-T therapies. One of the unique challenges faced by Monash Haematology is ensuring adequate and equitable provision of care to all patients living within Monash Health’s large catchment area.

One of the key gaps in our malignant haematology model-of-care is the absence of a dedicated Symptom and Urgent Review Clinic (SURC) for our patients with blood cancers. Currently there are no streamlined pathways for patients who develop symptoms from their anti-cancer treatment to seek urgent review. Patients either present to their closest Emergency Department or contact the on-call haematology registrar or haematology nurse coordinator, with limited ability to perform ad hoc reviews. We also recognise that it is not practical or patient-centred to expect all patients to travel to MMC in Clayton when they
develop symptoms requiring urgent assessment.

The aim is to establish a dedicated SURC clinic for patients with blood cancers receiving anticancer treatment (Haem-SURC), with a focus on patient safety, implementing a decentralised model-of-care, enabling broader reach and more equitable access for patients living within the Monash Health catchment area.