The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI) originated from the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007). The NCSI is a partnership between the Department of Health, Macmillan Cancer Support and is supported by NHS Improvement. The aim of the NCSI is, by 2012, to have taken the necessary steps to ensure that those living with and beyond cancer get the care and support they need to lead as healthy and active a life as possible, for as long as possible.
January 23rd, 2012
Macmillan are co-sponsoring this unique conference bringing together healthcare professionals from a variety of specialisms across the UK and abroad, to focus on the long term consequences of cancer and its treatments. Continue reading…
The initiative aims to improve the ongoing services and support for those living with, and beyond, cancer – currently 1.8 million people in England, 2 million across the UK as a whole. This number is likely to grow by over 3% per year, reflecting the increasing incidence of cancer and better survival rates. By 2030 there are likely to be around 3 million cancer survivors in England.
The NCSI vision document, available to download below, summarises a range of evidence that suggests the current follow up arrangements – which usually involve outpatient appointments at cancer centres – are not meeting the cancer survivors needs following treatment and do not provide value for money. These ‘unmet needs’ of cancer survivors include medical, psychological, social, spiritual, financial and informational needs. The aim of the NCSI is, by 2012, to have taken the necessary steps to ensure that survivors get the care and support they need to lead as healthy and active a life as possible, for as long as possible.
The initiative is a partnership between the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Support and is co-chaired by the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, and the Chief Executive of Macmillan, Ciaran Devane. NHS Improvement are supporting the delivery of the NCSI through piloting models of improved care and support for adults, young adults and child survivors in clinical test communities around the country. See the Test Communities page for more details.
The work of the NCSI is divided in to the following project groups:
Assessment and Care Planning – Health and Wellbeing Clinics – Managing Active and Advanced Disease – Supported Self Management – Consequences of Cancer and its Treatment – Survivors of Childhood and Young People’s Cancers – Work and Finance – Vocational Rehabilitation – Physical Activity.
The work of these projects can be seen in further detail in the project pages.
Plans for 2011
The NCSI has been engaging service users, clinicians and commissioners to develop new models of care and to provide evidence to demonstrate the opportunities to improve quality and efficiency of services. This work-in-progress includes an economic evaluation of current cancer follow-up arrangements. Much testing work has been undertaken in 2010, and the NCSI will continue to develop on this to provide compelling evidence for the commissioning of the new pathways.
The NCSI seeks to demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes and experience alongside reductions in unnecessary outpatient appointments and unplanned hospital admissions. Specific work on the pathway for lung cancer will be undertaken in 2011 to evaluate the impact of multi-professional and palliative care input throughout the pathway for those with active and advanced disease.
The NCSI will continue to develop evidence and good practice principles to support the development of specialist services for patients with long-term effects of cancer and cancer treatment.
If you are a cancer survivor or a carer seeking immediate support, please visit www.macmillan.org.uk.
Last updated on October 24, 2011
