Occupational therapists (OTs) support people of all ages with problems resulting from physical, mental, social, or development difficulties. OTs provide interventions that help people find ways to continue with everyday activities that are important to them. This could involve learning new ways to do things or making changes to their environment to make things easier. As patients’ needs are so varied, OTs help GPs to support patients who are frail, with complex needs, live with chronic physical or mental health conditions, manage anxiety or depression, require advice to return or remain in work and need rehabilitation so they can continue with daily activities.
OTs are a role that has more scope within the Network Contract DES to be utilised as the PCN and patient population demands. Their responsibilities as laid out in the DES are most definitely transferable to cancer, long term condition and palliative patient groups. Proactive input from this profession is likely to impact and reduce onward attendance in primary care and secondary care. As OTs skillsets cover the psychological, physical and social aspects of disease, true holistic management can be achieved.
An Occupational Therapist can support the following:
Prevention
- Making every contact count
- Healthy Lifestyle advice
- Signposting to services
Early Diagnosis
- Knowledge of signs and symptoms of cancer and recurrence
Enhanced healthcare in Care Homes
- Management of care home residents with cancer or suspected cancer
- Support to care home staff including education, treatment and escalation plans
Personalised Care
- Cancer Care Reviews
- Advanced Care Planning
- Return to work and activities of daily living
- Management of symptoms of cancer and its treatments across the whole pathway
- Equipment to support admission avoidance or discharge from hospital
- Carer support
- Signposting to specialist and non-specialist services to support patients and their carers
- Falls assessment and treatment
The effects of cancer and its treatments physically and psychologically are well documented by patients. Many patients often feel that there is no chance of improvement and very little support to do so especially after treatment. Patients want more support on how to live with and beyond cancer whether curative or palliative. This care will be delivered closer to home and out of a hospital setting which is also important to patients.
We can offer training and education to help you support and provide personalised care to cancer patients. Please see here for more details (Appendix 7).
We also have a Wessex Cancer Alliance Allied Health Professional Forum which brings together AHPs working in Cancer to share knowledge and support each other. Please contact us if you would like to join.
We welcome ideas on further training needs or innovation. Please do contact us to discuss further.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists also have a support network of OTs in primary Care if you would like to join please review page: Occupational therapy in primary care – RCOT
Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up to date information and education offers. Please contact us if you would like to subscribe.
Macmillan also provide a Primary Care Update which includes latest developments, learning and case studies relating to cancer across primary care, to sign up please access the following link: Sign up for Primary Care Update – Macmillan Cancer Support
This is a role that may be used for cancer patients alone or for a wider population that include cancer patients including palliative patients, long term conditions or care home residents. We have provided some insight on how you could utilise an Occupational Therapist and how this will help deliver the GP Contract DES and other primary care responsibilities (Appendix 9).
Here is a job description for a Cancer specialist OT (Appendix 8).
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists provide a generic Role Descriptor: Role_Descriptor_-_Occupational_Therapy_in_Primary_Care.pdf (rcot.co.uk)
There is a possibility that we can help with promoting recruitment of new innovative OT roles in cancer care and palliative care. Please contact us if you would like to discuss further.
If you would like more general information about the OT role and supportive documents, you can access Wessex LMCs: PCN Workforce – ARRS and Occupational Therapists – Dorset Primary Care Training Hub (primarycaredorset.co.uk) for more details.
Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up to date information and education offers. Please contact us if you would like to subscribe.
