Personalised care

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

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

  • Personalised care and support planning (based on holistic needs assessments) makes sure patient’s physical, practical, emotional and social needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.
  • Treatment summaries (doctors letter) provide both the person and their 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 the person and their GP/primary care nurse about their cancer journey. This helps the person to discuss any concerns, and, if appropriate, to be referred to services or signposted to information and support that is available in their 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 their cancer treatment, the person will move to a follow-up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support where they are worried that their cancer may have recurred.” Having PSFU pathways means that when a person completes their primary treatment and are appropriate to be transferred to a PSFU pathway, they will be offered:

  • information about signs and symptoms to look out for, which could suggest their cancer has recurred
  • rapid re-access to their cancer team, including telephone advice and support, if they are worried about any symptoms, including possible side[1]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 them to improve their health and wellbeing in the long-term.

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