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

Section 4 - Making Change Happen

'Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care' will see the MSN CYPC strengthen collaborations and partnerships with our adult cancer colleagues and with external partners such as Education, Health and Social Care Partnerships and third sector organisations. These third sector organisations include, but are not exclusive to, Maggie's,^[24] Children's Hospices Across Scotland,^[25] Teenage Cancer Trust,^[26] Young Lives vs Cancer^[27] and Macmillan.^[28]

Overall we all want to maintain the delivery of excellent cancer care and this strategy sets out the way in which by 2026 we can not only demonstrate that quality, but also develop upon it in terms of the science, staff development, patient involvement and public understanding. Our core approach is starting the cancer journey at the right point with diagnosis and negotiating that entire terrain with expert guidance from the MDTs. Our wider approach is to support the infrastructure to improve that core activity, through research, audit and workforce development. Our Executive and Operational Delivery Groups will monitor ongoing review of progress towards achieving the strategies ambitions. These groups will ensure that activities are kept within the parameters of the agreed strategic objectives and actions, whilst ensuring that their delivery is consistent with our vision, aim and the values of NHS Scotland.

Measuring Success

This strategy seeks to improve survival and patient experience whilst reducing variance and ensuring safe, effective, efficient, timely and person centred care. It aims to ensure that this is provided in the right place, by staff who have the appropriate training and expertise. Taking into account the ambitions of the Healthcare Quality Strategy (Scottish Government, 2010) for NHS Scotland (safe, person-centred, effective, efficient and timely); the objectives and actions within this strategy have been drawn from current guidance, good practice documents, medical expertise and experience. We will continue to implement our performance indicators from our previous cancer plan with two additions. These will be reviewed regularly and will continue to be responsive to changes in clinical practice and emerging evidence. We will audit our services against these where appropriate.

1. Time between referral and diagnosis

2. Time between diagnosis and start of treatment

3. Proportion of patients with cancer who are offered a clinical trial

4. Management plans made by a properly constituted multidisciplinary team

5. End of treatment summary completed and access to after services offered

6. Tumour banking for all patients

7. Molecular characterisation of malignant disease