Macmillan Cancer Support, the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, the cancer networks and local authorities are working together on the Transforming Care After Treatment (TCAT) programme.
With £5m of funding from Macmillan Cancer Support, TCAT helps to design services that are more tailored to the needs, preferences and priorities of individual cancer patients. It is hoped that by testing new ways of delivering care and support to people with cancer during and after treatment, ones which receive positive feedback from patients will become sustained and embedded in everyday practice, improving the overall support cancer patients in Scotland receive.
Now at phase 3 of its five-year life-span, there are 25 TCAT pilot projects taking place within the NHS and local authorities across Scotland. All are unique, but each project includes at least one of four key components: holistic needs assessment and care planning; end of treatment summaries; cancer care reviews; and health and wellbeing events.
These components are all designed to improve the aftercare experience of the patient and to work successfully all require much greater communication and collaboration between health and social care services. Patients also play a key role in the delivery and design of TCAT, deciding which projects should go ahead and providing feedback about their experiences.
By providing the opportunity for cancer networks, health boards, local authorities and third sector organisations to work together it is hoped that the new ways of delivering services to people affected by cancer could become sustained and embedded in everyday practice, improving the overall support they are receiving.
It is hoped the results of the pilots will act as a significant stepping stone to meeting the needs of those affected by cancer in Scotland after their treatment ends with the learnings used to transform cancer care services across the country.
More information
Contact us about TCAT
- Gordon Mclean, TCAT Programme Manager: gmclean@macmillan.org.uk