NCSI update

Autumn 2012

The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI) was launched in 2008 as a partnership between the Department of Health and Macmillan, with support from NHS Improvement. It set a vision to help people living with cancer to lead an active and healthy lifestyle for as long as possible.

Four years on, the partnership has a much greater understanding of the needs and numbers of people living with cancer; where they are in the cancer care pathway; the professional cultural shifts required; and what evidence-based services will be necessary for the future.

NCSI 2012 next steps document

This document looks at what has been achieved; what we now know; and what needs to happen next. It will be available this autumn at the NCSI website|.

The NCSI's next steps will be to:

- share learning around managing diagnosis, treatment, recovery consequences of treatment and active and advanced disease

- describe the necessary changes to the cancer care pathway, and the proposed changes to enable implementation

- emphasize the importance of a ‘recovery package’ for every person finishing treatment, consisting of a holistic assessment, care planning, a Treatment Summary, and a transition event such as a Macmillan Health and Wellbeing clinic

- set the direction for survivorship work in England to 2015.

Cancer Care Review

A full evaluation report of the NCSI’s IT templates for Cancer Care Review (CCR)| is now available on the NCSI website. 

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) requires everyone diagnosed with cancer to receive a CCR by their GP within six months of their diagnosis. However, the QOF lacks clarity on what the CCR should consist of and what is helpful and necessary to include.

To help GPs conduct high-quality CCRs, Macmillan worked with the main GP IT system providers – INPS and EMIS – to develop and test set templates with GPs. The evaluation of these templates identified that 79% of GPs found the template ‘fairly useful’ or ‘very useful’ and that they appreciated the prompts for reviewing medication or noting the carers’ details.

Work is now underway to encourage widespread adoption of the templates.

Active and advanced disease

This work stream has looked at issues faced by people living with advanced cancer. These include: keeping well, accessing other support services, re-entering the healthcare system (eg at a time of recurrence), and the progression of illness to palliative care and end of life.

Part of the group’s work has included testing a new model of care for people affected by lung cancer in Brighton and Hull. The model includes:

- having a structured assessment process and a personal care plan that offers support and information to enable self-management

- rehabilitation and support through social and emotional care, as well as physical care with services clearly signposted

- survivors and health professionals having access to prompt specialist care and treatment on recurrence or when encountering problems

- the early introduction of palliative specialists so that palliative and end-of-life care decisions can be made in a timely way by patients and professionals.

The data is currently being analysed, however initial reports suggest that patients who receive early support and information show an improvement in their quality of life. For more information, visit the NCSI website|.

Coming up ...

We'll be including updates on other areas of the NCSI in future editions of Mac Voice.