Specialist nurse Support Line

1. The phone will be answered by one of our 7 dedicated nurses who will introduce themselves to you.
2. They will ask you about your current situation.
3. You can start wherever you want – they are there to listen.
4. With your permission, they will take some brief notes during your call, making things easier for you if you call again. You can share as much or as little data as you wish.
5. Your nurse may email you with any personalised follow-up information you might need after the call.
6. If you call again at another time, you can ask to speak to the same nurse. You can also organise a follow-up call in advance.

Our nurses are here to listen and talk about whatever you like. You may want to share your concerns or ask specific questions. Here are a few common ones:

• What investigations will I need?
• Where should I start with managing the symptoms I am having?
• Is the treatment I am getting the right treatment for me
• Will my tumour grow while I am waiting for treatment to start?
• What steps can I take to get my treatment started as soon as possible?
• I’m confused about the process; can you break it down for me?
• What questions should I ask to make the most of my next appointment?
• What are clinical trials and can I take part in one?
• Am I able to ask for a second opinion and how do I go about this?
• My partner has just been diagnosed; how can I best support them whilst not feeling overwhelmed myself?

Yes, you can leave a message and a nurse will call you back as soon as they can during our opening hours. If the time when they call you back is not convenient, we can organise a follow-up call for a better time.

We are able to speak with you and a support person if you have one to help you during the call. Alternatively, we can consider other ways to support you e.g. via email or through accessing other services.

Yes, you can email our nurses and they will get back to you, normally within 48 hours unless it’s a weekend or public holiday.. This may be a good option if it’s out of hours for the Support Line.

We will keep your personal details, along with a very brief summary of the discussion or email exchange we have had with you, on our secure database. This record is confidential and only the team involved in supporting you will be able access it. A record will only be kept if we have your consent – if you would prefer to stay anonymous that is fine too.

Using our Support Line is completely free – you will not be charged for any calls made within the UK.

We can take enquiries from outside the UK, but please be aware we can only give general information about pancreatic cancer and we are unable to advise on healthcare systems overseas.

Your feedback is important to us and helps us to give the best support we can.

If you’ve used the Support Line and would like to share your thoughts, please click the link below. Your feedback is anonymous unless you choose to share your details.

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