National Cancer Action Team

Information pathways and information prescriptions

Improving patient experience is a key theme in the Cancer Reform Strategy. Surveys of cancer patients demonstrate that their experience of care has improved in recent years. However, we also know that it can and must improve further. NCAT has developed its National Cancer Patient Experience Team to provide leadership on the patient experience agenda including the establishment of information pathways and prescriptions.

To date eleven national information pathways have been developed and launched. These include: breast, bowel, lung, prostate, palliative care and end of life, vulva, womb, cervical, ovarian, vaginal and an ‘all cancer types’ pathway.  These pathways were developed in partnership with charities and cancer networks.

National Cancer Survivorship Initiative

Improvements in the quality of life of those living with or beyond cancer were identified as essential in the Cancer Reform Strategy. Therefore NCAT has been supporting the key activities which have taken place to date as part of the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI), including:

• Identifying a vision and pathway model for survivorship;
• Developing individual steps in the pathway and for cross-cutting issues; and
• Establishing 38 pilots in 16 test communities to see how post-treatment services can be improved.

A number of publications have been produced to support both managers and clinicians. These include:

• Information for commissioners on end of life care
• Is it that time already? - a joint piece of work with retirement housing provider, Housing 21, which focuses on the needs of tenants in extra care housing
• Planning your Future Care 2: A guide - a patient information booklet produced in collaboration with the National Council for Palliative Care and Nottingham University
• Advance decisions to refuse treatment: A guide for health and social care professionals - this publication was developed in collaboration with a number of organisations including The National Council for Palliative Care.

All these publications are now available from the end of life care programme website.

Links

www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk

www.dh.gov.uk