Survivorship

They set out the progress made by the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative in beginning to reshape the services provided for people living with and after cancer.  This was followed by questions and discussion from the audience.

Key issues

 

 

Steve Hindle, Gilmour Frew and Dr Adam Glaser present

Delegates heard that the goal of cancer care is adding years to life and adding life to years. There are currently two million people living with or after cancer in the UK – this will rise to four million by 2030; more than a quarter have unmet needs a year after treatment.

The cost of five year hospital follow-up for cancer patients can be up to £2,000 per patient.  This is unsustainable as the cancer population continues to grow and as the NHS needs to find efficiencies.  Furthermore, follow-up doesn’t meet cancer survivors’ needs anyway.

We need to move to a new NHS model of post treatment care for cancer survivors, based on the following principles: 

• Risk stratified pathways of care rather than one size fits all
• Personalised care plans and information
• Self management (with support and rapid access to appropriate professional if problems arise)

The ‘enablers’ to get to this new system of care are:

• Awareness and education for patients and staff 
• Evidence to identify what is being done well and what needs to improve
• Innovation – e.g. automated surveillance and exercise programmes
• Patient reported outcomes

What needs to happen next?

The Government needs to:

• Include cancer in i) the new Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention programme of care plans for everyone with a long term condition and ii) the long term conditions outcome measure in the NHS Outcomes Framework
• Ensure the forthcoming Cancer Reform Strategy Refresh supports personalised assessment and care planning
• Ensure the NHS Commissioning Board supports care plans in its commissioning framework
• Ensure care plans play a key role in the new NICE Quality Standards for cancer.