Access To The Recovery Package - Latest Reports Published
The Cancer Alliance has today published two reports on how people across West Yorkshire and Harrogate are able to access the Recovery Package and the work still needed to improve services for those living with and beyond cancer.
Around 88,500 people are currently living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis across the region. By the year 2030, it is expected that the number will rise by 48,000 to 117,000 people. Many people who have had a cancer diagnosis are older and may have other health conditions too.
The Recovery Package is an overall support and self-management package for people affected by cancer - physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle; managing the consequences of treatment; information, financial and work support.
It is recognised in the national cancer plan, which includes a commitment to ensuring that every person with cancer has access to it by 2020, driving out unacceptable variations. The package acts as a means of ensuring effective communication between primary and secondary care as the patient moves along their journey from diagnosis, to treatment, to living with and beyond cancer in their local community (see photo info below).
Click here for more information on the Recovery Package, including a Macmillan Cancer Support video.
The first report presents the findings of a survey carried out by the Cancer Alliance from July 2018, asking patients whether they received access to an Holistic Needs Assessment, a Care Plan, Treatment Summary and further health and wellbeing support.
In the survey, patients were asked to comment on the benefits of each of these if they received them and what the benefits would have been, had they received them. Patients were also given the option to engage with the Aalliance on other work if they wished to do so.
Click here to read a copy of the survey report.
The survey findings were used to inform an Alliance-wide Recovery Package implementation event held last month (October 2018), along with the outcomes of focus groups with patients, with Cancer Nurse Specialists and Cancer Care Co-ordinators, and baseline audits of services currently provided, with current gaps in provision.
The aims of the event were to showcase good practice in terms of delivery of and access to the Recovery Package in local places; to review barriers to implementation across the four elements of the package and to identify solutions and innovations for the future.
Patients from Leeds, Harrogate, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Huddersfield attended the event. Other attendees included Clinical Nurse Specialists from across a range of tumour sites; GPs; Consultants; Clinical Commissioning Group representatives; Cancer Service Managers; Lead Cancer Nurses and Project Managers.
Click here to read the report of the event.
Pictured above, left - Jane Mullins, a breast cancer patient, accessed an exercise referral programme in Kirklees as part of her post-treatment support package. Click here to read Jane's story.
Pictured above, right - planning the way forward at the Recovery Package implementation day.
