LOC - Patient and Visitor Information

What you need to know

• First Consultation icon plus

  Your first appointment at the LOC may be your first with a cancer specialist, or you may have been referred by a cancer surgeon, or another oncologist. Whatever the case, your consultant will want to make you feel as comfortable and welcome as possible. They will listen to your views and concerns and involve you in decisions about your cancer management.

• First treatment visit - what to bring with you icon plus

  The time you spend here will vary depending on your treatment but it is likely to be for a full morning or afternoon, occasionally up to eight hours. To help pass the time you might want to bring a book, personal stereo or a tablet. Each of our treatment chairs and beds are equipped with an entertainment screen which offers television, film, radio and internet access.
  
  We offer a wide range of UK and international television channels for you to watch. You can also connect personal computers and devices to the internet using our free Wi-Fi. We cannot accept liability for loss or damage to any cash or valuables or personal effects, whether they belong to you or your visitors.
  
  Please wear something loose fitting that is both comfortable and washable. It is also a good idea to bring extra layers as you may feel a little chilly after your treatment.

• Your medicines icon plus

  If you are taking any medicines, please remember to bring them with you and a list of any repeat prescriptions from your GP. If you are planning on taking any new medicines, your consultant, clinic doctor, pharmacist or nurse will need to know. This includes any herbal remedies and supplements such as vitamins, garlic capsules, St John’s Wort and Echinacea or preparations from a homeopathic practitioner. These can sometimes interfere with your treatment so it is important we know exactly what you are taking or planning on taking so we can check that they are still suitable for you.
  
  As we are a specialist clinic, we may not have all your medicines in stock and we may need to order in for you. Bringing your own medicines from home will ensure you can continue taking them without disruption during your visit. Our pharmacists are on hand to offer advice about all of the medicines and remedies you are taking.
  
  The pharmacy team provide and supervise the use of all medicines prescribed at LOC. The pharmacist will clinically check all prescriptions made for you.
  
  If you have any questions about the service, please ask our pharmacy team.
  
  If you are undergoing treatment for cancer you may be entitled to a medical exemption certificate with the NHS. This allows you to obtain free NHS prescriptions for all items (not just those for cancer) and will last for a minimum of 5 years even if your treatment finishes during that period.

• Welcoming Your Friends And Family icon plus

  Currently, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, visitors are not routinely allowed across our treatment suites and only one visitor is allowed in consultations. We know that having a friend, family member or carer with you for support can be extremely helpful during your treatment and we hope to welcome friends and family back in the future.

  You may want your carer to be involved in some parts of your treatment, consultations and conversations and not in others. This is totally up to you. We are always happy to talk this through with you so please contact the LOC team if you wish to discuss anything further.

• Identifying Staff icon plus

  You will meet many different staff when you visit. So you can be sure of who they are, all our staff wear name badges. If you are not sure of the name of the person you need to speak to, please ask one of the team.

• Parking Your Car icon plus

  We provide free car parking vouchers on the day that you are receiving your SACT treatment at LOC, please ask one of our reception team for further information. You can park in the streets around the clinic using a telephone payment system. Blue Badge holders can park in Westminster Council bays, which you will find in the surrounding streets.

  For all our patients visiting the Platinum Medical Centre free parking is available. You may drive up to the entrance where a reception porter will guide you to a space. If you are receiving treatment at LOC Chelsea (Sydney Street Outpatient and Diagnostics Centre) please ask a member of the front of house team for parking details.

• Refreshments To Suit Your Individual Needs icon plus

  Whilst attending the treatment suite you will be provided with a menu serving a selection of breakfast items, hot or cold meals and nutritious snacks. The menu has been designed, with input from oncology dieticians, to meet your dietary needs during SACT treatment whilst also encouraging you to try new ingredients.
  
  If you have any special dietary requirements or allergies please notify our staff at the earliest point. If you wish to order halal, kosher* or texture modified meals simply ask a member of our team.
  
  *If you follow a Kosher diet please inform the nurse conducting your pre-treatment assessment.

  Other Foods

  If you would like to bring food with you, please choose foods that do not need to be reheated or kept in a fridge as we do not have any cooking facilities available for patients on site.
  
  Please also be mindful of foods with strong odours, as many people become very sensitive to such smells during their chemotherapy.
  
  We are constantly striving to improve the nutritional care of our patients at LOC and welcome feedback. Please speak directly to your nurse or alternatively complete the ‘Comments, compliments and complaints’ card, which can be found on the information stands within the treatment suite and main reception.

• Disability access icon plus

  LOC is committed to ensuring that people with disability, their families and carers are not discriminated against in any way and that they have access to the full range of services, facilities and information.
  
  If you have a disability and are coming to LOC for an appointment or treatment, please let us know before you attend so that we can discuss what support you may need.
  
  Please let us know if you have any special requirements such as:

  • A disability requiring assisted access
  • Hearing or sight difficulties
  • Need of an interpreter
  • Dietary requirements such as allergies, intolerances, halal or kosher foods. 

  If you are dropping off or collecting a patient from LOC and require a wheelchair, please ask for assistance at the reception desk. Please contact LOC reception on 020 7317 2500 so that we can make the necessary arrangements prior to your visit.