The Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnership has launched a consultation to gather the views of people with a lived experience of cancer as well as their families and carers.
The survey is being undertaken as part of the development of a Macmillan Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) service for the Borders, being progressed in partnership by ourselves and NHS Borders.
The service will offer people an appointment with an ICJ Worker to complete a holistic assessment to discuss ‘what matters to you’ in their cancer journey. The aim is to help those affected by cancer to access appropriate sources of support for all their non-clinical needs – physical, practical, emotional, family or spiritual. It will build on services already provided through NHS Borders, such as a holistic approach to care planning through Single Point of Contact.
Have your say
The survey is open from Monday 5 February to Sunday 31 March 2024 and can accessed online.
Paper copies are available by emailing: ICJ@scotborders.gov.uk
Councillor Tom Weatherston, Executive Member for Social Work and Community Enhancement
“The Macmillan Improving the Cancer Journey service is a tried and tested model which provides one to one, tailored support in the community for people affected by cancer. It’s already available and proving extremely effective in many parts of Scotland, with a significant amount of work currently being undertaken to establish one here in the Borders.
“We’re very keen to ensure that our local service is designed with the involvement of people in our communities who have, or have had, an experience of cancer. Your input is absolutely vital in helping us to shape a service that will best meet the needs of those directly affected.
“I would encourage anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis, as well as your families and carers, to make sure you take part in the survey and give us your views. All feedback we receive will be taken into account.”
More information
- The Health and Social Care Partnership was awarded grant funding from Macmillan Cancer Support to establish the Macmillan Improving the Cancer Journey service in the Borders. The grant is for a fixed period of 48 months with a further three years of funding for the support worker posts employed to deliver the service.
- The aim is to enable Macmillan Cancer Support, the Scottish Government and the Partnership to deliver key objectives of the Scottish Cancer Plan and other Scottish Government strategies, by implementing the Improving the Cancer Journey model to ensure that all people diagnosed with cancer can easily access all the support they need as soon as they need it to enable them to live as well and as independently as possible, for as long as possible.
- Further information can be found in the report noted by the Integration Joint Board on 24 January (Item 11).