Living With and Beyond Cancer
More people than ever are living with and beyond cancer. Receiving care that is tailored to a person’s needs can have a significant impact on their experience and quality of life. WCA is working to ensure that every person receives personalised care and support from cancer diagnosis onwards.
This includes:
- Holistic assessment of people’s physical, practical, social and emotional needs and the development of a personalised care and support plan. This assessment helps to ensure that patients receive the right support and advice that is tailored to their individual needs when they need it most.
- Treatment Summary providing an overview of treatment received; information on potential effects of treatment; alert symptoms for referral, and ongoing treatment plan and actions for the GP. Designed to be shared with the patient and their GP.
- Cancer Care Review in Primary Care – a holistic conversation between a patient and primary care professional about their cancer experience and concerns.
- Health and Wellbeing Information and Support before, during and after cancer treatment, to help people understand their cancer, treatment and the support available to them, to enable them to make informed choices.
Patient information on Cancer Matters Wessex
- Cancer treatment and follow-up care
- Living with and beyond cancer
- Cancer support centres
- Right By You
- Caring for someone with cancer
Useful links
NHS Personalised Care
Macmillan – Personalised care for people living with cancer
Right By You Wessex
Cancer Care Reviews (CCR) offer people the opportunity for local supportive conversations and clinical review, recognising them and their needs, and acknowledging the impact that cancer (and their other health conditions) is having on their lives and the things that matter to them.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) requires primary care professionals to carry out a CCR at the time of a patient’s diagnosis (within 3 months) and after a patient has received acute treatment (within 12 months).
The Macmillan CCR template is available in all the main GP systems to support a structured conversation and the Ardens template is also aligned to this.
Please see the WCA Position Statement on Cancer Care Reviews. This document aims to clarify the requirements and outlines the standard we feel primary care teams should aspire to.
Useful resources
- Macmillan CCR Information includes guidance on accessing the templates in different systems, template patient letters and text messages
- Holistic Needs Assessment Concerns Checklist, available in different languages and in easy read format.
- Template CCR invitation letter and support links
- AccuRx patient questionnaire – Macmillan have developed a questionnaire as a Florey Survey in AccuRx to be sent out by text message to the patient before their CCR
- Top tips for carrying out a CCR
Social prescribers and other non-clinical members of the primary care team play an important role in delivering integrated personalised care to people with cancer. They can help people to identify and access the right support for their needs and enable them to self-manage where appropriate.
Social prescribing for cancer patients: A guide for PCNs
- Cancer Matters Wessex
- Cancer Care Map – Useful online directory of cancer support services across the UK
- Macmillan In Your Area – Online search tool for local Macmillan services including information and support, wellbeing services and rehabilitation groups.
Prehabilitation enables people with cancer to prepare for treatment through promoting healthy behaviours and through needs-based prescribing of exercise, nutrition and psychological interventions. The aims of prehabilitation are to empower patients to maximise resilience to treatment and improve long-term health.
Useful resources
- Physical Activity and Cancer – Guidance for healthcare professionals, Macmillan Cancer Support
- Prehabilitation resources for healthcare professionals, Macmillan Cancer Support
At least 1 in 4 of those living with cancer face poor health or disability after treatment. While most people will return to previous levels of health, a significant number will experience long term problems. These can include chronic fatigue, mental health problems, sexual difficulties, urinary and gastrointestinal problems, and lymphoedema.
People who were treated for cancer as children or young adults can also face long-term consequences of treatment, such as heart problems or increased risk of second cancers.
Useful resources
Holistic Needs Assessment Concerns Checklist can help to identify the issues that are causing people most concern.
Managing heart health during and after cancer treatment – Guidance for primary care
Managing lower GI problems after cancer treatment – Guidance for primary care
Managing physical effects of cancer treatment (Gateway C)
Macmillan Resources for Practice Nurses
Resources for patients
- The Macmillan Support Line is open 7 days a week between 8am-8pm on 0808 808 00 00. It offers emotional and practical support including clinical information, financial and welfare rights advice.
- Macmillan Online Community – The Macmillan Online Community is a 24/7 peer support network with groups dedicated to specific cancer types, treatment modalities, as well as for family and friends.
- Macmillan HOPE course – a group-based training course for people who have/have had cancer to support them to manage the day-to-day impact of living with cancer.
- Breast Cancer Now Moving Forward online course
- PCUK Sexual Support Service telephone consultation and Sexual Wellbeing Resource, a self-management resource for people living with prostate cancer
Practical support
4 in 5 people experience a financial impact of their cancer. The following organisations can help:
Macmillan Poole and Bournemouth Benefits Advice Service
Hampshire Macmillan Citizens Advice Service
Macmillan Grants – means tested grants are available through the support line, information and support centres and local cancer centres.
