Aim: The objective of this study was to audit the nature of telephone consultations with a Macmillan nurse specialist.
Method: All calls made to or by a Macmillan nurse over a period of 20 days were analysed in respect of three main areas: symptom management, psychological support and treatment. Information was recorded on a data sheet and then data were collected and descriptive statistics were produced.
Results: The mean length of call was eight minutes. Most calls were incoming and involved patients, followed by relatives and healthcare professionals. The majority of calls involved psychological support, followed by symptom management then treatment.
Conclusion: The data show that the Macmillan nurse specialist spends a large amount of time in telephone work, mainly in consultation with patients.