Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care: cancer strategy for children and young people 2021–2026

Executive Summary

On behalf of the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) Board I am pleased to provide the Executive Summary for this ambitious strategy. Its development has resulted from extensive consultation, which has paved the way for this publication. The strategy celebrates our achievements to date as well as emphasising the improvements that we know are still needed and we believe can be achieved over the coming 5 years.

This is firstly due to the excellent work undertaken by our national and multi-professional Cancer Strategy Oversight Group, but of course this success is not due to one person or group. Whilst this strategy is focused on the delivery of NHS Scotland services, we recognise that we cannot make improvements to care and treatment alone. This strategy results from a real team effort across health care professions and specialties in Scotland; including close working with our young people, their parents and carers, third sector and charitable organisations, institutes and academia. All have shown a real commitment to delivering a strategy which allows the MSN CYPC to strive to achieve our collective goals and improve the lives of the communities in which we serve. It is recognised that there are many important areas of focus which could have been included within this strategy; however the ambitions, objectives and actions provided have been developed through feedback from children, young people, their families and carers as what matters most to them.

In developing our vision for the next 5 years, the MSN CYPC has been afforded the opportunity to look back at our achievements to date as we mark our 10^th year of existence. I am pleased to see that the strategy is not only a celebration of this, but also an opportunity for recognition of the continued hard work children and young people's cancer services provide every day. From doctors, nurses, psychologists, allied health professionals, to admin and support staff, alongside our key partners, patients and their families; it is people who are at the heart of the MSN CYPC. The strategy reminds us of how privileged we are to work alongside such creative and innovative individuals, collectively focused on improving the delivery of health care.

This year has seen significant changes for NHS Scotland due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however staff continue to go above and beyond to maintain services during this difficult period in our health care history. Throughout it all the commitment has remained to deliver this strategy. From what we know of the spirit of the MSN CYPC family, I have every confidence that our dedicated and committed workforce will welcome this new publication and will continue to do their utmost to deliver its outputs over the coming years to the benefit of our population.