Initiating discussions with patients about their sexual and intimacy needs is not always easy for clinicians. Specialist cancer nurse and psychosexual therapist Julie Hoole, who won an RCNi Nurse Award for developing a sexual function and intimacy questionnaire, offers advice on how to broach this subject with patients

Julie Hoole, psychosexual therapist and winner of last year’s RCNi Excellence in Cancer Research award,  reveals how health professionals can initiate conversations to ‘open the door’ for people who are experiencing sexual or intimacy problems during the course of their treatment.