Berkshire Cancer Centre

During your visit to the Berkshire Cancer Centre, you may be seen by a variety of health care professionals within the team. Our staff will be able to discuss and manage your care and plan the treatment that’s best for you. They will also keep you involved in any treatment choices and decisions about your care.

Your team may include:

• a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) who is often your key worker and main contact.
• an Oncologist, a doctor who specialises in treating specific types of cancer
• a Radiographer who delivers the radiotherapy treatment
• a Chemotherapy Nurse who administers chemotherapy medication

Our staff also work closely with local community services including: your GP (home doctor), and nurses in the community. 

Coming to the hospital from London Road, the Berkshire Cancer Centre has a dedicated entrance in the far right hand corner of the car park which takes you straight into the Centre. Please use this rather than the central London Road entrance. Their is also a drop off point in Redlands Road, where you can then follow the signs to the relevant department.

Parking permits will be issued to patients whilst having a course of radiotherapy or chemotherapy and will be given by the departments on starting treatment. Blue badge parking is available next to the West Drive buildings which are accessible from Redlands Road.

Our chemotherapy helplines 

If you need to speak to a chemotherapy nurse for advice about your treatment or side effects, please call:

• King Edward Ward: 0118 322 7464 / Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm
• Bracknell Chemotherapy: 01344 662 900 / Tuesday - Thursday 8.30am - 4.30pm
• Adelaide Ward: 0118 322 5225 / Emergency out of hours - 24hrs/7 days

Our radiotherapy contacts

• For general enquiries please contact: 0118 322 7872
• If you need to speak to a member of staff for advice about your treatment side effects please contact our on Treatment Review Radiographers: 0118 322 8869

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Our Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) contact details

These contacts may not respond until the next working day, and they are not for emergencies. Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm excluding Bank Holidays. 

Breast CNS: 0118 322 7420 / breastcarenurses@royalberkshire.nhs.uk 

Colorectal (bowel) CNS: 0118 322 7182 / colorectalnurses@royalberskhire.nhs.uk

Gynaecological CNS: 0118 322 8195 / gynaecancernurse@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

Lung CNS: 0118 322 8994 / lungcancernurses@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

Neurological cancers CNS: 0118 322 8542 / neurooncologynurse@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

Skin cancers CNS: 0118 322 7271 / skincancernurses@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

Upper Gastrointestinal CNS: 0118 322 7748 (8am to 4pm)

Uro-Oncology CNS: 0118 3227905 / urology.nurses@royalberkshire.nhs.uk

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Cancer Rehabilitation Service: If you would like to learn more about our service or make a referral please email cancer.rehabilitation@nhs.net or call 07392 861323 and leave a voicemail.

Hair Advisory Service: We run a Hair Advisory Service for men and women. We offer a range of wigs, headscarves and information about haircare and scalp care. To speak to a member of the team, call 0118 322 8722 or 0118 322 7888.

We are open from 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

Patients are referred to the Outpatients Department when a diagnosis of cancer has been made and treatment is needed.

The Berkshire Cancer Centre sees patients diagnosed with a range of cancers including:

• bowel cancer
• brain tumours and cancers
• breast cancer
• gynaecological cancers including ovarian, cervical, and endometrium
• lymphomas
• cancers of the head and neck
• lung cancer
• cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and pancreas (upper gastrointestinal)
• skin cancer
• urological cancers such as cancer of the prostate, bladder, kidney and testicular cancer

We also run a Hair Loss Advisory Clinic (women and men) where you can be supported in learning about alternatives such as buying a wig or tying a headscarf.

Please phone 0118 322 7888 or speak to your nurse specialist to make an appointment for this clinic.

AccessAble Accessibility Guide

Important information about your appointment

Your visit to the clinic is a good opportunity to discuss any questions you may have with your doctor. To make it easier, here are some things you can do to make the most of your appointment time:

• Write down and prioritise the questions you want to ask
• You may want to bring a relative or friend to help you remember the conversation.
• Please ask for written information.
• You can request copies of letters written about you.
• If you haven’t understood what has been said, please ask your doctor or nurse again.

It is important to us that you feel involved in the decisions being made about your care and treatment.

• Please ask if you haven’t understood what has been said.
• If you need another appointment the doctor or nurse will let you know and signpost you to the Outpatient reception to make the appointment. If this is not possible it will be sent to you by post.

We run a Hair Advisory Service for men and women. We offer a range of wigs, headscarves and information about haircare and scalp care.

If you would like to order a wig through us, you are entitled to a wig at the cost of £74.15 on the NHS (price correct as of April 2020). If you require two wigs, the second wig would be charged at full price.

If you are currently receiving benefits you may be eligible for a free wig from the NHS; please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Head scarves are also individually priced and we can assist in making the right choice for you. We can also send you a catalogue, if this is something you would like.

Phone 0118 322 8722 or 0118 322 7888 to enquire about this service.

Please note that the Hair Advisory Service is running at a reduced capacity during the coronavirus pandemic, in order to protect the health and wellbeing of patients. Appointments may be offered over the phone, initially.

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 9am to 5pm

Phone: 0118 322 8722 (If there is no answer, please leave a message and we will call you back)

Address: Hair Advisory Service, Berkshire Cancer Centre, Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Road, Reading, RG1 5AN

The Berkshire Bowel Cancer Screening Centre is part of the National Screening programme. Within the Centre we co-ordinate and aim to provide the highest level of holistic care to individuals identified through the Screening Programme.

The service operates as a joint venture between Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The centre sees patients from across East and West Berkshire as well as from areas within South Oxfordshire and South Buckinghamshire.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 74. People in this age group will automatically be sent an invitation followed by a personalised screening kit so they can do the test at home. Those over 75 years will not be invited automatically but can call the free-phone number to request their free kit.

For more information about how the screening programme works, visit this website.

Bowel Cancer Screening Service provision in Berkshire

Screening clinics run by the Specialist Screening Practitioners (SSP’s) currently run on the following sites:

Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Royal Berkshire Hospital
• Bracknell Healthspace

Contact Information

• Free-phone helpline: 0800 707 6060
• Royal Berkshire Hospital Bowel Cancer Screening office: 0118 322 7346

NHS Bowel Screening: The Facts

NHS Bowel Screening: Colonoscopy Investigation

• Buggy service for transporting patients and visitors who have walking difficulties (main entrance reception, Level 2)
• M&S convenience store (main entrance, Level 2)
• Cash machine / ATM (main entrance opposite the reception desk, Level 2)
• Changing Places toilet (main entrance, Level 1). The toilet is locked with a key available 24/7 from security at Main reception on level 2. More information is available on this Changing Places webpage.

Cafes and restaurants

• Eating Hub restaurant and Delights Deli Bar - South Block, Level 1
• AMT Coffee Hut - main entrance, Level 1
• League of Friends Coffee House - Battle Block, Level 1
• Jamaica Blue - South Block, Level 2
• Pumpkin Cafe - Main Block, Level 2

Wi-fi

Public wi-fi is available across all inpatient and outpatient areas. Please connect to RBFT_GUEST and follow the prompts.We can't guarantee wi-fi coverage in corridors, car parks or other transitional spaces.