Improving the Cancer Journey in Powys

Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council are working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support on a three-year programme called “Improving the Cancer Journey in Powys”.

The aim is to ensure that everyone living with cancer in Powys gets the right help and support to live their life as fully as they can, by providing them with the practical, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social support they want or need so they can achieve what matters most to them.

Cancer is classed as one of the Big 4 diseases within the Powys Health and Care strategy. In Powys there are just under a thousand people a year diagnosed with cancer. With improvements in cancer care treatment and drugs, it is now often the case that people are living longer, and well, with cancer, and, as a result, it is important that their health and well-being needs are met.

The programme aims to develop a model of care similar to one developed in Glasgow. The model will offer everyone who is diagnosed with cancer a personalised and supported conversation (called a holistic needs assessment) with a key worker who will be able to discuss and support all their needs and offer advice, information and signposting in a co-ordinated way. In addition, the programme will evaluate an electronic, holistic, needs assessment that will enable the patients numerous needs to be identified and addressed within their individual care plans.

This support could cover things like information on:

welfare benefits
returning to work
making a will
social care packages and carers assessments
access to occupational therapy or lymphedema health services
how to tell family members or children about a diagnosis or treatment
dealing with tiredness, fatigue or pain management
nutritional advice
best types of exercise
local support groups

Along with health and care professionals and third sector partners like PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations), the Bracken Trust and Credu, we will be developing pilot projects during 2021 and using the feedback given by all involved to better co-ordinate, signpost and support people living with cancer in the county.

If you’ve not been offered/completed a holistic needs assessment and you’d like to do so, please contact either PAVO or the Bracken Trust. If you are caring for a loved one you are also welcome to get in touch with Credu who support unpaid carers in the county. See our Useful Links tab for contact details.

The experiences of people living with cancer are at the heart of shaping this project. If you would like to share your story – either as someone living with cancer or a family member, please get in touch. You can email the project team at ICJPowys@powys.gov.uk or call Sue Ling on 01597 826043 to have a chat and find out more about how your story will help shape the final model of care.

Our ICJ documents

As the programme progresses we’ll add information and key documents to the page to keep you updated. Please take a look at our:

Plan on a Page which explains simply what the ICJ in Powys programme is about.
End of Stage One Report which is a detailed 32 page document
End of Stage One Infographic which sums up the content of the report (above)
Compendium of patient stories
Press release 1 - Improving the Cancer Journey programme to start in Powys
Press release 2 - People with cancer in Powys invited to share their experiences
Press release 3 - Tim shares his cancer journey at official launch
Press release 4 - Money matters service here for cancer patients
Press release 5 - Webpage to improve knowledge of Cancer Programme
Press release 6 - Cancer pilots to co-ordinate care and support launched in Powys
Press release 7 - Tim’s exhibition to raise funds for cancer charities
Press release 8 - Tim's exhibition raises over £2k for cancer charities
Press release 9 - Cancer Patients share their stories

In the video below Dylan Owen, Head of Commissioning at Powys County Council, explains how the programme came about and what it will mean for people living with cancer in Powys.