Personalised care means a shift in the relationship between health and care professionals and people who are affected by cancer, focussing on ‘what matters to you’ rather than ‘what’s the matter with you’. This allows people to have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered.
From diagnosis to the end of treatment and beyond, all patients should have access to:
- personalised care and support plans, based on holistic needs assessment
- health and wellbeing information and support
- an end of treatment summary
- a follow up Quality of Life survey 18 months after diagnosis
- regular cancer care reviews delivered in primary care (such as GP surgeries and clinics) or other community settings
- Follow up approach tailored to individual needs
More information about these different elements of personalised care for people affected by cancer – so-called ‘interventions’ – is available on the NHS England website
Personalised care | Healthcare professionals | Macmillan Cancer Support
As part of personalising care, the way in which patients are followed up after ending treatment should also be tailored to suit them.
Personalised Stratified Follow Up provides care closer to home and can involve a reduction in the frequency of hospital based follow up, ensuring outpatient appointments are used for new diagnosis and patients with more complex disease. However, it will not be suitable for every patient and should be a joint decision between the patient and their clinical team about which follow up approach is most suitable.
