About the London Cancer Alliance
In 2010, during the early phase of the formation of London Cancer, UCLPartners (a partnership of health care providers and universities in North Central London), began a collaboration with local commissioners that aimed to think about cancer care and diagnosis differently, in order to improve patient experience and outcomes.
Recognising that good patient experience can only be delivered by putting patients first and working together along the journey from symptoms to recovery, a focus was placed on understanding what mattered most to patients, organising how this could be achieved, and how London Cancer could measure success around this. Co-designed by conversations and contributions from 1,000 clinicians and over 200 patients within London Cancer’s footprint within North Central London and West Essex, the ‘Ten Things that Matter to Patients’ were identified (7). Outlined below, these have been, and remain, a cornerstone in the continuing work of London Cancer.
- Early Diagnosis: Patients are diagnosed at an earlier stage
- Ethos: Patients are treated holistically as individuals, and with dignity, sensitivity and respect
- Communications: Written and verbal information about diagnosis, all treatment options including side effects and quality of life implications
- Choice: Patients/ carers fully involved in choice of hospital and treatment options
- Supports: Support groups, benefit entitlement, offered emotional/psychosocial support, information about complementary therapies
- Carers: Fully involved and supported throughout pathway
- Holistic Assessment: At appropriate stages throughout the pathway, with action as a result to meet their needs
- Seamless Care: All patients assigned a CNS when diagnosed and community keyworker on discharge
- Transport: Patients given information on hospital parking and costs
- Discharge: Patients and GP provided with discharge information and follow up advice.
Recognising that these principles underpin provision that needs to be delivered across London to stakeholders across the capital, London Cancer was expanded to include 3 Cancer Alliances that cover provision of cancer services across London:
- RM Partners – covering xxxx
- South East London Cancer Alliance – covering xxxx
- UCLH Cancer Collaborative – covering xxxx
These 3 Alliances are working together key stakeholders to focus on the delivery of the Living with and Beyond Cancer agenda in London and the national population that London serves.
What are the Cancer Alliances?
Cancer Alliances and NHS England work closely together to deliver the five year cancer strategy. There are 19 Cancer Alliances across the country that bring together local clinical and operational staff from providers and other healthcare organisations, to implement the strategy and transform cancer care and support for patients.
Cancer Alliances look at the care and support patients should expect to receive from diagnosis to follow-up support across whole populations of patients, so they can address variations and implement best practice. NHS England provides Cancer Alliances with funding, support and guidance to assist in their work.
What is Living with and Beyond Cancer?
More people than ever are living with and beyond cancer. The NHS is leading the way in cancer care by recognising that quality of life outcomes are as important to people as survival.
- Personalising aftercare and putting patients more in control of their recovery is an important aspect of improving the patient experience.
- The quality of life (QoL) metric aims to measure quality of life at a scale and depth that isn’t being matched anywhere else in the world, helping to target future work to maximise improvements for patients.
The Living With Cancer agenda includes provision of personalised care and support and a personalised approach to cancer follow up.
What is the NHS Cancer Fund Transformation Fund Programme
NHS England has confirmed funding of over £600 million to support delivery of the strategy which has been set out clearly for the four years to 2020/21.
Support that all Cancer Alliances will receive in 2018/19 to transform care for their cancer patients includes:
- – Transformation Funding to deliver improvements in early and faster diagnosis and quality of life for people living with and beyond cancer
- – Core Funding to establish and maintain a team to support the new way of working led by the Alliance
- – National Support Funding allocated in a way that helps to address regional variations in levels of funding and with the purpose of ensuring that all Alliances are supported to deliver the 2018/19 Planning Guidance priorities
- – Dedicated support from our new analysis, evidence and data service
- – Support and assurance from NHS England regional offices
- – A tailored development programme
- – A series of national Cancer Alliance events to share best practice and information across Cancer Alliances.
What are we doing in London?
The London Cancer Living with and Beyond Cancer Board is working collaboratively with pathway boards and trusts to implement the recovery package and stratified follow up.
London Cancer is committed to improving the support mechanisms for individuals living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. The primary aim of the Board is to action a transition from the current clinician-led and largely hospital-based model of care to the development of a collaborative model which recognises people as experts in their condition and focuses on recovery, health and well-being.
Key programmes of work include:
- Xxxx
- Xxx
- Xxx
- Embedding Health and Wellbeing Events in the cancer pathway and ensuring the provision and availability of Health and Wellbeing Events to every person diagnosed with cancer.
Why have we built this website?
As part of the NHSE Cancer Transformation Fund programme, the 3 London Cancer Alliances have carried out a project to develop a website to:
- Ensure clinical teams, patients and carers are aware of where and when upcoming relevant HWBEs are being held, the availability of places, and can make referrals to access those events.
- Support Healthcare Professionals in referring patients to suitable events, and support Patients in making choices about their ongoing care
- Provide a comprehensive directory of events being run across London
- Inform the public about what Health and Wellbeing Events are, how they can benefit from them and that they are entitled to access them.
- Increase provision and engagement with the events across London with the least resource requirement from clinicians and other NHS staff.
- Signpost people interested in attending or providing events to other useful information.
We hope that you find this website useful. Please use the links below to notify us about events that you are running in your area or to ask questions or provide feedback about this site.