The HMP Safety Podcast: Episode 3 with Sam Toland, Nurse Consultant in Cancer Care and Lead SACT Nurse, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust
The SHBN is pleased to share that the third episode of the HMP Safety Podcast is now live: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3u3aLyQm9YuHc5lcnOykIf
In this episode Dr Paul Roberts, podcast host and chair of the SHBN, is joined by Sam Toland, Nurse Consultant in Cancer Care and Lead SACT Nurse, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust.
Sam Toland has been a cancer and haemato-oncology nurse for eighteen years. She is a lead chemotherapy nurse and a Senior Lecturer in Haematology at Birmingham City University. She is also the Deputy Chair of the West Midlands Cancer Alliance SACT EAG, and a member of the National Clinical Leads Group for Chemotherapy. Previously, she worked initially in haemato-oncology and stem cell transplant before transitioning to a chemotherapy nurse trainer, responsible for chemotherapy training and education of all nursing staff in a large teaching hospital trust. Concurrent to this, she commenced a lecturing role in haemato-oncology and chemotherapy at Birmingham City University.
She has also held roles as a Leukaemia Nurse Specialist who cared for and gave treatments to haemato-oncology patients in the community, and an Acute Oncology Nurse Practitioner where she gained her assessment and prescribing qualifications. The last 3 years of her clinical career were as a Lead Chemotherapy Nurse of a large trust with 3 hospital sites, managing and delivering the chemotherapy service consisting of 3 outpatient units and a haemato-oncology ward.
Together, Dr Roberts and Sam discuss the occupational risks nurses face when handling hazardous medicinal products. Sam explains what protective measures are currently available and why the current COSHH guidance often falls short. Sam advocates for greater safety awareness because staff who understand the risks are better placed to protect themselves and their colleagues.
The HMP Safety Podcast is a new series produced and released by the SHBN, as part of the wider HMP Safety Campaign. You can find out more about the campaign and getting involved here.
Each episode explores a different aspect of HMP safety, from the evidence behind occupational exposure, to the policy gaps holding back reform, to the frontline experiences of those handling these substances every day. Further episodes covering a range of topics around HMP exposure and safety will be released in the coming months on Spotify.
