Macmillan’s new Practical Implementation Guide for Cancer Care Reviews
My experience of delivering Cancer Care Reviews (CCRs)
A new resource to support Primary Care professionals in delivering impactful CCRs
What I’ve learnt about delivering a CCR clinic
My first real learning was the realisation that I had no understanding of primary care, its IT systems and the supporting software that is used. I also had to rapidly develop my knowledge about certain cancers and their treatment, particularly prostate cancer, where I had no prior experience to draw from. I also had to accept that I was no longer a Cancer Nurse Specialist but a generalist nurse and expected to know something about over 250 distinct types of cancer and their treatments. However, what transcends all cancer types is the psychological and emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis and the patient’s need to understand what is happening, when so little seems in their control, which was thankfully something I was able to draw on and put into practice.
During my first clinic in July 2021, I had nine patients booked in for a 30-minute appointment slot with no breaks or catch-ups in between and not one patient had completed a holistic needs assessment in advance. All but one of the patients were living with prostate cancer, which I knew little about. It was a steep learning curve.
What matters most to patients during their CCR?
I have recently supported a young patient through their cancer pathway and asked them what they thought Primary Care healthcare professionals should consider when talking to someone who has had a recent diagnosis of cancer.
While there’s not one solution that will fit every patient, here were some of their reflections:- Show empathy by listening to their story and making their voice heard.
- Reassure them that a treatment plan has been developed for them.
- Make sure that the patient is aware of the “next steps”. If not, get a copy of this information from the treating hospital as this would offer a safety net to prevent any potential oversights within the system.
- Share information about support groups. Reassure them that these groups come in all shapes and sizes to suit everyone’s needs, including both online and face-to-face.
- Keep track of their progress on their treatment plan.
- Over time keep track of progress and results, offer to do blood tests at the GP practice if the patient is more local to the GP than the hospital as this creates less hassle for the patient.
- Keep the number of points of contact to a minimum, where possible. It gives the patient a chance to develop a sense of trust and mutual respect for the appointed professional. It offers that extra care and attention to detail that ultimately matters to many patients.
Read Macmillan’s Practical Implementation Guide for Cancer Care Reviews. We welcome feedback and any thoughts and comments for further improvements to the Guide. Please email us your feedback.