Survey for professionals - improving community support for people living with cancer
Background
Help us support people with cancer in Southwark.
Cancer is experienced by an increasing number of people as a 'Long Term Condition' and there are a growing number of people affected by cancer who no longer have any routine ‘face to face’ appointments at the hospital, but still need social and psychological support to cope with their illness.
The Recovery Package is a national NHS initiative to support the needs of people ‘living with and beyond’ cancer, central to which is a holistic cancer care review in primary care, which is intended to identify such needs (e.g. worries about money and work; feeling lonely / having no-one to talk to; not understanding what is going on with the cancer / the cancer of the person they are looking after).
We currently have some generic systems in the community to support GPs and practice nurses who identify need, such as SAIL (Safe and Independent Living) navigators working through Age UK Lewisham and Southwark for those over 55, and some Primary Care Navigators, as well as the Wellbeing Hub.
In addition to the views of people who have had cancer and / or their family, friends and carers, we would like healthcare professionals to tell us what support is needed, where it should be received and how things can be improved by completing this quick survey.