Supporting young people through cancer requires expertise, compassion, and a team who understands the unique needs of teenagers and young adults.
Our Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Cancer Support Team at CUH brings together specialist nurses, counsellors, coordinators and regional leads to provide personalised care for young people across the East of England.
Whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, or adjusting to life afterwards, our team is here to guide, support, and empower you every step of the way.
Our team
Teenage Cancer Trust TYA Lead Nurse
Supporting young people with cancer aged 13–24.
Our Lead Nurse oversees the entire TYA cancer service across the East of England, working in collaboration with regional cancer networks and specialist services to ensure that every young person receives the right support at the right time.
They act as an expert advisor, providing leadership, nursing expertise, and service planning both regionally and at the Principal Treatment Centre (PTC). They lead the TYA nurse-led clinics, education and service development, and are responsible for line management of the TYA team members.
Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Nurse Specialist
Supporting young people with cancer aged 16–24.
Our TYA Cancer Nurse Specialist works closely with the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure that the needs of each young person with cancer are fully understood and met. They provide holistic, patient-centred care, identifying financial, social, spiritual, practical, and emotional needs to support the young person throughout their cancer journey.
They maintain regular contact with young people across clinics, wards, and day units, ensuring continuity of care and offering ongoing support throughout treatment and follow-up. They help young people to navigate their cancer pathway, encouraging self-management and empowering them to be actively involved in their care.
In addition, the TYA Cancer Nurse Specialist facilitates onward referrals and signposting to appropriate psychosocial support services. They liaise with schools, universities, and employers to advocate for young people with cancer, supporting education and employment needs. They also engage young people in peer-support activities to reduce isolation and promote wellbeing.
TYA Late Effects Clinical Nurse Specialist
Supporting young people aged 16–24 who have had cancer as a child or TYA.
TYA Late Effects Clinical Nurse Specialist supports young people in managing the long-term effects of cancer treatment. They run nurse-led long-term follow-up clinics, addressing both medical and psychosocial needs. They lead the transition process from paediatric to adult services, ensuring continuity of care and age-appropriate support during this important stage.
In addition, they provide psychosocial support to young people who are not attending the TYA late effects clinic. They work collaboratively with other specialties and regional partners, including GPs, to ensure individualised follow-up care.
The TYA Late Effects Clinical Nurse Specialist is also responsible for making onward referrals to appropriate specialist services, such as cardiology, renal, fertility, and other medical consultants, as well as liaising with GPs to support ongoing care.
CTYA ODN Genomics Clinical Nurse Specialist
Supporting young people with cancer or suspected cancer aged 0–25.
The CTYA ODN Genomics Clinical Nurse Specialist plays a key role in embedding genomic medicine into the TYA cancer service across the region, ensuring that genomic testing is integrated into the standard diagnostic pathway. This enhances the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and prognosis, supporting more personalised and effective treatment planning.
The role also focuses on increasing opportunities for clinical trial participation and facilitating the development and delivery of new targeted treatments, particularly for rare cancers, at a regional level. In addition, the CTYA ODN Genomics Clinical Nurse Specialist provides education and guidance to colleagues, promoting understanding of the importance of genomic medicine in TYA cancer care.
Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Coordinator (YSC)
Supporting young people with cancer aged 13–24.
Our Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Coordinator focuses on the social and emotional wellbeing of young people in treatment. They provide social and emotional care to young people treated at CUH on wards C9 and C2, both during their hospital stay and for up to two years after treatment finishes.
The YSC facilitates both ward-based and community-based activities that promote peer connection, distraction, and overall wellbeing, helping young people navigate the challenges of treatment and recovery.
TYA Admin Support Worker
Supporting young people with cancer aged 13–24.
The TYA Admin Support Worker ensures the smooth running of the TYA service. They provide administrative support to the TYA team, organise patient events, and help coordinate peer support activities in collaboration with the Youth Support Coordinator. They also assist with essential data collection and management, to help improve the service for patients.
TYA Service Community Lead
Supporting young people with cancer aged 16–24 across the region.
The Community Lead connects the Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) with hospitals, hospices, and regional MDTs across the East of England. They raise awareness of TYA issues, support alignment between regional services, and contribute to improving psychosocial care for young people.
The role includes identifying key regional stakeholders, conducting gap analyses of psychosocial services, and providing one-to-one and family support, advice, and signposting for young people not treated at CUH. Additionally, the TYA Community Lead champions TYA patient voice initiatives, ensuring young people’s perspectives help shape service planning and delivery across the region.
TYA Counsellors
Supporting TYA patients aged 16–24, who have or have had cancer at any age (0-24), family mambers and partners.
Our counselling team provides emotional, psychological, and mental health support to young people, their families, and partners. Sessions can be delivered face-to-face, by phone, video, or email, ensuring flexible access to support.
Young people can access up to 20 counselling sessions, family members up to 6 sessions, and bereaved family members up to 10 sessions.
The counselling team also runs approximately 3 off-site bereavement support events each year and offers individual and group support for TYA staff on ward C9.
We’re here for you
Every member of our team is dedicated to supporting young people with cancer, their families and the professionals who care for them.
Whether you need clinical advice, emotional support, practical guidance or someone to talk to, we are here to help.
Telephone: 01223 274243 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm)
Out of hours contact telephone for Teenage Cancer Trust Unit (urgent queries only): 01223 274223 (Ward C9)