Supporting People In Bradford To Live Better With/Beyond Cancer - Wrapping Care Around The Patient

Bradford is piloting a new way to support people to live better with and beyond cancer.

 The Next Steps clinic aims to ensure that every patient is   aware of and able to access the range of support and   services available to help them reach their goals and live   as full a life as possible after treatment.

 The pilot is being coordinated by the West Yorkshire and   Harrogate Cancer Alliance and involves partners Bradford   Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Bradford   District Clinical Commissioning Groups and Cancer   Support Yorkshire, with funding from Macmillan Cancer   Support.

 Cancer patients each have their own individual and wide-   ranging needs at the end of their treatment, and support     that is well-signposted and tailored to each individual can   make a huge difference to their lives.

Pictured above, left to right, are Co-ordinators Hollie and Shahida, with patient Val

The Next Steps offer of support to help people with their personal finances, the ability to maintain social networks and psychological wellbeing, as well as chronic physical problems such as fatigue and pain, is now formalised in a face-to-face appointment at Cancer Support Yorkshire.

Patients are supported through the process by the use of an electronic Health Needs Assessment – or eHNA – devised by Macmillan, which helps patients to think about their issues or concerns and possible solutions. They are then signposted to support services, as appropriate.

 

Initially, the scheme focused on people who had come to the end of their treatment for head and neck cancer; gynaecological cancer; cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (digestive system), such as stomach, liver and pancreas, colorectal and lung cancer. The service has since expanded to support more people living with cancer, with the offer of support being extended to breast and urology patients.

Recent survey results show patients value the support offered by the service and are likely recommend the service to other patients, with one stating their coordinator was “A kindly voice bearing useful information”.  Patients also reported more confidence in managing their own health and wellbeing as a result of their appointment.

In the future, the service is looking to expand to support more patient groups in Bradford, as well as expanding the support out to patients in the Airedale area.

Pictured below right are the NHS England Equalities team during a visit to the Next Steps clinic.                                

Gillian Hollingsworth, Cancer Services General Manager and Lead Cancer Nurse at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:  “More people than ever are living with and beyond cancer, so it’s crucial that the NHS recognises that quality of life outcomes are as important to people as survival.

“The Trust already works very closely with Cancer Support Yorkshire to provide opportunities for people to access support services and information which can enable them to reach their personal goals after treatment.              

“However, we know that not everyone is currently making the most of those opportunities, or perhaps aren’t even aware that they are there. That’s why this pilot programme is so important as it makes the offer of support an integral part of the patient journey and appointment process, so patients don’t miss out because they have moved on after their treatment has ended and miss the opportunity to improve their quality of life in the future.”

Face-to-face personalised health and wellbeing support

Under normal circumstances, two Support Coordinators, funded by Macmillan, talk with patients face-to-face and offer personalised health and wellbeing support at a specially-arranged appointment at Cancer Support Yorkshire, located close to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The Coordinators assess each patient involved in the pilot programme at their one-to-one appointment, and talk through their personal circumstances to see what help and support each may need to return to work, connect with their local community, eat well and exercise.

However, as a result of Covid-19, the service has had to adapt to continue to support patients throughout the pandemic. The Support Coordinators are now offering personalised health and wellbeing support over the telephone, with Cancer Support Yorkshire offering a wide range of virtual 1:1 support and group classes. 

More information about what's available here  Book by emailing support@csyorkshire.org.uk or call 01274 776688. The latest timetable is also available on the Cancer Support Yorkshire Facebook page.

 Sarah Wood, Executive Director of Cancer Support Yorkshire, said: “We are excited   to be working in partnership with Macmillan, Bradford Hospitals and West Yorkshire   and Harrogate Cancer Alliance to improve access to personalised health and   wellbeing support for cancer patients in Bradford.

 “Cancer Support Yorkshire is fully committed to this collaborative work enabling   those affected by cancer to live as full a life as possible with an integrated range     of existing support services in the community.”

Professor Sean Duffy, Clinical Lead for the WYH Cancer Alliance, said: “Personalised post-treatment support and putting patients in charge of their own recovery can have a significant impact on their experience of care and their quality of life. The chance to talk one-to-one with someone often helps patients to identify unmet needs they hadn’t even realised they had.

“Cancer is one of many long-term conditions for which support services already exist in the community, closer to home, to which people can be signposted and which can make all the difference. However, we recognise that there is significant variation in how this is currently happening across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. The Bradford initiative is a great example of how when organisations work together and focus on improvement, this brings huge benefits for those affected by cancer and their families.”

The pilot is part of the innovative national Living With and Beyond Cancer programme, which is being coordinated locally by the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance. The Alliance aims to improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer across the region.