When you are under investigation for or diagnosed with lung cancer, you will be under a team of specialist doctors and nurses. Our team covers North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Anyone can develop lung cancer, including non-smokers. Some symptoms include, but are not limited to:

  • Persistent cough
  • Breathlessness
  • Coughing up blood
  • Reduced appetite and/or weight loss
  • Unexplained fatigue
  • Hoarseness
  • Repeat chest infections
  • Chest/Shoulder pain

We have many routes in which you may come into our service, but the most common is via a GP referral. 

Following a referral into the service, you may first speak to either a respiratory consultant or a senior lung cancer nurse. This may be face to face or by telephone.

At this first appointment, we will ask lots of questions to gather information about your overall health and fitness. From there, we may need to organise some further tests.

Some common investigations which may be arranged are:

  • Chest x-ray
  • Lung function test
  • USS guided biopsy
  • MRI
  • CT guided biopsy
  • Thoracoscopy
  • PET CT
  • Mediastinoscopy
  • Surgical biopsy
  • CT scan
  • EBUS/bronchoscopy

These tests will be coordinated by our team, but may not always be within our hospitals. Occasionally, we have to send you to other hospital trusts in the region.

Depending on the outcome of these investigations, you may need some treatment and ongoing follow-up.

We have a big team of professionals who work together to ensure that patients feel well informed and supported. Some of these include:

Respiratory consultants:

North Tyneside General Hospital

Dr D Cooper – Lead Lung Cancer Physician

Secretary: 0191 2932582

Dr N Green

Secretary: 0191 2934351

Dr C Storey

Secretary: 0191 2934026

Hexham and Wansbeck General Hospitals

Dr S Fearby

Secretary: 01434 655646

Dr S Haney

Secretary: 01670 529441

Dr C McBrearty

Secretary: 01670 529304

Dr M Weatherhead

Secretary: 01670 529445

Trustwide lung cancer nurse specialists:

0191 2934148, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Andrea Worsdale – lead lung cancer nurse

Julie Long – senior lung cancer nurse

Samantha Nicholson – senior lung cancer nurse

Laura Rutter – senior lung cancer/ILD nurse

Liam Darling-Cooper

Sarah Dunn

Jeanette Raine

Helen Wallace

Lucy Ward

Lung cancer care coordinators:

Lora Tumilty

Consultant oncologists:

Dr J Gardiner

Dr H Turnbull

Consultant thoracic surgeons:

Mr K Ang

Mr V Pagliarulo

Mr B Slight

Mr D Agrawal