The Children’s Community Nursing Team have been holding Central Venous Access Device (CVAD) cafés in an effort to revisit practices. The cafés are safe learning spaces with the aim of reducing line infections, as well as offering learning support for individuals or small groups.

Children’s Community Nursing Team (CCNT) Manager, Joanne Ineson, said: “I really wanted to thank Rachel Wilkinson, who is the Trust’s Paediatric Oncology Lead. She has been a huge support for our team’s education. Chester Chest is also proving to be a valuable learning aid.

“Rachel supports all the families in the community whose children have a cancer diagnosis. She not only works hard to support the team in the community, but also strives to educate and support colleagues on the Children’s Ward, as well as delivering training to our resident doctors on how manage patients with a cancer diagnosis who are admitted to our paediatric ward areas. 

“Rachel has amazing working relationships with the Leeds Macmillan team who are our patients' Primary Treatment Centre. She and the team attend the CVAD Leeds Working group that is held monthly so that we can be kept up to date on what is happening and what is current for CVAD practices as we are always looking for ways to protect and support our patients.”

Left to right: Rachel, CCNT/Children's Community Nursing Team Sister Deborah Galawan, CCNT Staff Nurse Lucy Whittaker and CCNT Sister, Julie O'Halloran.