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Better Cancer Care: A discussion

The Prostate Cancer Charity’s response to a Scottish Government consultation on the future priorities of Scottish cancer care.

May 2008

Introduction

In February 2008, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the future priorities for cancer care in Scotland. The consultation presented an opportunity for patients, the public, healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations to reflect on the progress made in recent years, acknowledge some of the challenges that remain and help the Scottish Government to focus activity on improving services.

The Charity made recommendations to the Scottish Government about how to improve cancer care for people affected by prostate cancer.

On Prevention we said:

• The Scottish Government should have a role in communicating new information and advice on diet and prevention, as and when new evidence emerges.
• The Scottish Government should facilitate the development of standardised health promotion messages for cancer
• The Scottish Government should support research into barriers that prevent men seeking health information.
• The Scottish Government should support further research to establish the basis of socio-economic inequalities relating to cancer incidence and survival.

On Screening we said:

• The Scottish Government should remain committed to considering the introduction of a screening programme for prostate cancer as and when new evidence emerges about an effective screening method.
• The Scottish Government should commit to the use of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Resource Programme Pack in Scotland by (i) distributing it to every GP in Scotland and (ii) monitoring its uptake. The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme guidance should also be integrated into patient pathways in Scotland.
• The Scottish Government should keep abreast of the emerging evidence around cancer genetics, with a view to developing guidance on prostate cancer screening in high risk families in the future.

On Diagnosis and Treatment we said:

• The Scottish Government should recognise that whilst healthcare professionals play a key role in the early diagnosis of cancers, that the public can also play a key role by recognising the signs and symptoms of cancer. Thus there is a need to promote public awareness of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer. To do this, the Scottish Government should collect, coordinate and share evidence of best practice in public awareness initiatives.
• The Scottish Government should consider the mobility needs of older people when planning cancer service delivery.
• The Scottish Government should develop specific guidelines (by SIGN or NHS QIS) on the management of prostate cancer in order to reduce variation in the treatment of men with prostate cancer and to ensure that all men receive a high standard of treatment and care.

On Palliative Care we said:

• That it is essential that the provision of palliative care is well co-ordinated and that men with prostate cancer have access to a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
• That men with prostate cancer should have their physical, psychological, social, financial and spiritual needs assessed and on the basis of that assessment be referred to appropriate psychosocial support services.
• That it is essential that men with prostate cancer and their families are given clear information about who their key contact for care is at every stage of their prostate cancer journey.
• That it is essential that men receive support to cope with the symptoms of metastatic prostate cancer. Health professionals should assess these men’s needs and refer them appropriately.
• The Scottish Government should ensure that prostate cancer patients are aware of the range of palliative support services that are available to support them and that people affected by cancer should have equal access to this support.
• The Scottish Government must assess whether men with prostate cancer in Scotland receive appropriate standards of information, advice and support through the patient experience programme.
• That the new cancer strategy for Scotland must include mechanisms for providing key individualised information to all men with prostate cancer - tailored to their own needs and initially given to them by a healthcare professional - from the point of diagnosis and throughout their prostate cancer journey.
• That we recommend that a quality framework should be established for information materials being used in the NHS.
• That the Self Management Model must:
  • incorporate how people can navigate the system
  • be flexible enough to meet the needs of patient’s, regardless of the setting of their treatment and care
  • be able to support the patient through different stages of the disease.

On Assuring Quality of Care we said:

• The Government should review the report Because Men Matter: The case for Clinical Nurse Specialists in Prostate Cancer released by the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action in 2007, and consider how the recommendations within the report, for improving the provision of Clinical Nurse Specialists in England, could be implemented in Scotland.
• The Scottish Government should develop strategies for increasing the number of older people participating in clinical trials.
• The Scottish Government should separate prostate cancer from other less common urological cancers in data collection on waiting times.
• Cancer registries in Scotland should include ethnicity in its datasets so that the Scottish Government can assess the needs of African Caribbean men, who are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than their white counterparts.

On Putting Patients at the Centre we said:

• The Scottish Government should develop patient experience surveys in association with patient organisations to ensure that consideration is given to patient’s needs at every point of the cancer journey and across all social and ethnic groups.

On Delivery we said:

• The Scottish Government needs to introduce guidance for prostate cancer care in Scotland to ensure consistency of care across the Managed Clinical Networks.
• The Scottish Government must ensure that the newly re-introduced, lead clinical role focuses on integrating health, community and social care and does not focus solely on medical care.