Personalised care

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The personalised care programme aims to enable and empower you to recover as fully as possible and to live well with cancer throughout your treatment and beyond.

Personalised care is based on ‘what matters’ to you and your individual strengths and needs. The elements of personalised care include:

  • Personalised care and support planning (based on holistic needs assessments) makes sure your physical, practical, emotional and social needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.
  • Treatment summaries (doctors letter) provide both you and your GP with valuable information, including a detailed summary of treatment completed, potential side effects, signs and symptoms of recurrence and contact details to address any concerns.
  • Primary care cancer care review is a discussion between you and your GP/primary care nurse about your cancer journey. This helps you to discuss any concerns, and, if appropriate, to be referred to services or signposted to information and support that is available in your community and from charities.
  • Health and wellbeing information and support includes the provision of accessible information about emotional support, coping with side effects, financial advice and making healthy lifestyle choices. This support is available before, during and after cancer treatment. You can find out more at:

Personalised stratified follow up (PSFU)

An illustration of the personalised cancer care icon, of five people in a circle interlinkingThe NHS long term plan for cancer directs that “where appropriate upon assessment and after your cancer treatment, you will move to a follow-up pathway that suits your needs and makes sure you can get rapid access to clinical support where you're worried that your cancer may have recurred.”

Having PSFU pathways means that when you complete your primary treatment and are appropriate to be transferred to a PSFU pathway, you will be offered:

  • information about signs and symptoms to look out for, which could suggest your cancer has recurred
  • rapid re-access to your cancer team, including telephone advice and support, if you are worried about any symptoms, including possible side effects of treatment.
  • regular surveillance scans or tests (depending on cancer type), with quicker and easier access to results so that any anxiety is kept to a minimum.
  • personalised care and support planning and support for self-management, to help you improve your health and wellbeing in the long-term.

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