Introducing our new Acute Oncology service
We are delighted to introduce Supportive Care UK’s new virtual Acute Oncology service, created to help healthcare teams access timely senior clinical advice for complex cancer presentations and treatment-related complications. The service responds to a growing need across organisations where consultant acute oncology input is limited, under pressure or not consistently available.
Welcoming Anna Olssen-Brown
We are delighted to welcome Professor Anna Olsson-Brown as Clinical Director for Acute Oncology. Anna is a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Professor of Cancer Clinical Trials, specialising in acute oncology, immunotherapy and treatment-related toxicities. She holds a PhD in immunotherapy toxicity, has published extensively and brings significant national leadership experience in acute and supportive oncology.
Across the UK, acute oncology teams are managing rising demand, increasingly complex cancer treatments and new toxicities at a time when experienced consultant capacity is stretched and access to senior advice varies between organisations. SCUK’s virtual service is designed to add flexible specialist capacity around the team already in place, giving clinicians a reliable route to experienced acute oncology input when a complex case, high-risk presentation or difficult decision needs another perspective. Rather than offering one fixed model, we would be happy to work with NHS trusts, Cancer Alliances and independent providers to understand their current pressures and explore how the service could support local priorities.
Support could include virtual consultant board rounds, rapid case discussion and written specialist advice for cancer-related emergencies, complex immunotherapy toxicity, neutropenic complications, sepsis, new or suspected malignancy and other treatment-related problems. The approach can be tailored to complement established acute oncology arrangements, provide additional resilience where senior input is limited, or give acute oncology nurses, medical teams, acute physicians and intensive care colleagues access to peer advice for particularly complex cases.
The service is intended to strengthen—not replace—local expertise. SCUK’s appropriately onboarded and indemnified consultants provide advisory input within a clear governance framework, with the treating team retaining clinical responsibility. Advice can be documented to support continuity, accountability and learning, and existing oncology teams can remain involved wherever appropriate.
In today’s climate, developing the permanent workforce remains essential, but it cannot always resolve immediate gaps or keep pace with rapidly changing cancer treatments. Timely access to senior advice can help teams make safer, more confident decisions, recognise complications earlier, support patient flow and build knowledge within the local workforce. If your organisation is experiencing gaps in consultant input, pressure on urgent cancer pathways or variation in access to specialist advice, we would be very happy to have an initial conversation about where support may add the most value—without any assumption that one model will suit every service.
Ready to strengthen the support available to your team? Contact info@supportive.care if you would like to hear more about our services and how we could work with you.
