There is a “postcode lottery” in cancer services that focus on improving patients’ quality of life and providing urgent care for people with the disease, experts have warned.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) have called for urgent investment in supportive and acute oncology.
These services must be “essential components of modern cancer care” and not “optional extras”, as more people live with the disease for longer, they said.
Supportive oncology manages the physical and psychological impact of cancer on patients and can include advice on nutrition and mental health support.
Meanwhile, acute oncology brings together experts from oncology, emergency care and end-of-life care to swiftly treat patients presenting with an emergency caused either by their cancer or as a complication from its treatment.
An RCR report said that while there are “some excellent supportive oncology services developing”, implementation is patchy, with a “postcode lottery” for care.
The colleges have called for the NHS and governments across the UK to embed both services in the national cancer plan, while expanding clinical fellowships in supportive oncology and backing cancer centres to develop programmes with dedicated funding.
Consultant clinical oncologist Dr Tom Roques, vice president for clinical oncology at the RCR, said investing in these services will take pressure off hospitals.
It comes as the Government’s 10-year health plan pledged to move more care from hospitals into the community by 2035.
Dr Roques said: “More people are living with cancer for longer, with complexities that affect their physical, emotional and social wellbeing.
“Supportive oncology services can improve patients’ quality and length of life and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
“As the NHS moves towards more neighbourhood-based care, investing in supportive oncology services will help patients get holistic care closer to home, and relieve pressure on hospitals.”
Dr Hilary Williams, incoming RCP clinical vice president and a consultant medical oncologist, said: “Supportive and acute oncology must be seen as essential components of modern cancer care – not optional extras.
“As the number of people living with cancer grows and their treatment becomes more complex, we must invest in workforce, training, and integrated care pathways that support patients in hospital, in the community and at home.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS’s roll-out of personalised care ensures people with cancer have all their needs assessed holistically, but we know that needs can change over time and experience of cancer services can vary, and we have more to do to ensure every person with cancer gets the support they need when they need it.
“That is why the 10-year health plan sets out some of the ways we will transform care to be fit for the future and the national cancer plan coming later this year will build on that for people living with and beyond cancer.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Through our 10-year health plan we are transforming the NHS to improve services and outcomes across the board – including for cancer.
“We are investing an extra £1.5 billion in new surgical hubs and AI scanners to help catch more cancers faster and are opening new community diagnostic centres 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, to increase community care and support our national cancer plan.”
