Who do I call, when and how?
As part of the WWRCP we offer care around the Waterloo Wellington Region. This means that you might have some, or part of your care at our regional site (Grand River Regional Cancer Centre) but other parts of your care or treatment closer to your home in Cambridge, Guelph, Mt. Forest, Palmerston or Fergus.
Please note that your Oncology Nurse and Oncologist (cancer doctor) are often very busy during the day and will not always be free to take your call. If you are calling in you will often need to leave a message with the call centre. If you have an urgent message please stay on the line when you call.
If you have a medical emergency go to your closest Emergency Department.
| CONCERN | WHO TO CONTACT | CONTACT INFORMATION |
| I want to talk to an oncology nurse about general questions/concerns about cancer or treatment after 4pm. | Carechart@home | 1-877-681-3057
If you have urgent questions or concerns after 4:00pm |
| I want to talk to my health care team about a side effect of my cancer or treatment. | Call Centre at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre | 519-749-4380 |
| I need to talk to someone that is in charge of my health care plan. | Call Centre at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre | 519-749-4380 |
| I'm not feeling well and I'm at a regional partner site (e.g. in Cambridge, Guelph, Mt. Forest, Palmerston or Fergus) | Tell your nurse or team at your partner site. If you are not on site, then call them directly. | Contact Info - Regional Program Sites |
| I think there might be something wrong with my health that is not related to my cancer (example: diabetes, cardiac care, kidney problems etc.) | Call your family doctor to discuss. | n/a |
| I have other questions about my cancer, cancer treatment or cancer care plan. | Call Centre at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre | 519-749-4380 |
Please have the following information ready before your call:
- Your name
- Your medical records number (MRN) if you know it
- A phone number in case you need to be called back
- The name of your oncologist (cancer doctor)
- Your reason for calling
*note that the Call Centre at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre is very busy. You might need to leave a message or wait on hold for your call to go through.
When to contact your health care team
There are times when you need to call your nursing team right away, rather than wait until your next appointment.
Call the call centre if you have:
- A fever of 38.3° Celsius (101° Fahrenheit) or higher
- A fever of 38.0° Celsius (100.4° Fahrenheit) that lasts for more than one hour
- Sudden onset of shortness of breath
- Persistent and severe vomiting that continues for more than 24 hours
- Severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea or diarrhea associated with a fever
- Constipation that lasts for more than 72 hours
- Severe sore throat or mouth (red or sore areas seen in the mouth)
- Any weakness or numbness in your legs, arms, difficulty walking, inability to urinate or you have a loss of bowel or bladder control
- Sudden or severe rash, hives, itching
- Pain, redness, swelling or warmth at injection site where chemotherapy was administered
- Sudden, increased, changed or uncontrolled pain
- Unusual bleeding
Need a prescription refill?
If you need to refill a prescription you can call your pharmacist. They will connect with the doctor that prescribed the medication to refill your medication.
Calling in After Hours
CareChart@home
CareChart (CareChart@home), a subsidiary of Bayshore HealthCare Ltd., is an after-hours virtual support program for patients going through cancer treatment.
Sponsored by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), this program offers symptom management support for cancer patients who are going through treatment when their local treatment centre is closed. You can talk with a Registered Oncology Nurse. All reports are shared with the patient’s treatment facility, allowing for timely follow-up support from their treatment team if needed.
Between their cancer treatment centre and CareChart, patients have access to 24-hour care, 365 days a year to help them manage their symptoms while remaining at home.