Cancer care Resources

As part of the ‘Whatever It Takes — Cancer Care for Everyone’ programme (Wessex Cancer Alliance [WCA], 2023), the ‘What I would like to say...’ project involved two disabled researchers carrying out creative and engaging workshops and interviews with 45 disabled and neurodivergent people, with the support of Bournemouth University’s
Public Involvement in Education and Research [PIER] team. These individuals were from various community groups in the Wessex region, including Autism Hampshire’s Fareham Serendipity group; the Dorset Blind Association [DBA]; the Multiple Sclerosis [MS] Centre
Dorset; the Royal National Institute of Blind People [RNIB]; and the Bournemouth and Poole Lymphoedema and Lipoedema Support group. This article reflects on the deep and rich insights shared by attendees, which were facilitated by the PIER community researcher model, and which have already begun to impact practice. It is hoped that the outcomes of this project will contribute to improving disabled people’s experiences of accessing cancer services.

Cancer survival rates are increasing, resulting in more people living with treatment or disease-related side-effects. Cancer is now considered to be a long-term condition and patients can present with a wide range of physical, psychological and social needs. Community nurses often see people living with or after cancer, but are not always recognised as part of the cancer workforce. This article outlines a pilot of a ‘cancer in the community’ four-day teaching module for community nurses in South West London. The conclusion and recommendations make the case for community nurses to receive education on cancer as a long-term condition and highlight key learning points from the pilot.

There are currently approximately 2.5 million people in the UK living with, or recovering from, cancer and it is further estimated that 1.8 million of these people will have at least one other longterm health condition. Community nurses have a responsibility to promote health at every opportunity when supporting those living with, and recovering from, cancer. The cancer care review is one aspect of the patient’s recovery package, which aims to help them recover from cancer and its treatment and identifies their individual concerns and support needs. The benefit of the recovery package is that it enables patients completing cancer treatment to take more control of their own care. In trying to help patients to improve their own health they will need support to think about devising an action plan should new concerns or symptoms arise. This article examines how a recovery package can, through assessment and monitoring, help to identify potential problems as well as offering preemptive support for those adapting to the diverse life changes associated with cancer.