Data provided by Information Services Division (ISD) indicates that there are over 500 new people (above the national average) diagnosed with cancer every year in Midlothian. Information received through the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in March 2014 indicates that there were 2,140 patients with cancer on local GP registers. Given the wider impact of the illness on patients’ families, a significant proportion of the Midlothian population – perhaps as many as 12/15% - are directly affected by cancer.
The aims of the Midlothian Living Well After Treatment programme are to:
- Conduct holistic needs assessments (HNA) with people living with cancer and create tailored care plans based on each individual’s foremost concerns.
- Enable people to access services through effective signposting and the provision of clear information.
- Increase access to physical activity and healthy eating advice.
- Increase opportunities for people to manage their lives more effectively through lifestyle management courses, employment and benefits advice.
Longer term, the objective is to develop a much more informed understanding of the needs of local people and how these would best be addressed through analyses of needs assessments and the evaluation of the impact of this project.
We have developed one of the largest TCAT public involvement groups in Scotland. This allows patients, carers and family members the opportunity to be heavily involved in shaping the way cancer services are developed in Midlothian. Furthermore, two members of this group provide representation on the project’s steering group, helping to ensure key actions are carried out.
One of the key objectives of the Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership is addressing health inequalities and providing much stronger and more person-centred support to people with long term conditions. This strategic approach of the new partnership includes greater emphasis on promotion of healthy lifestyles and enabling people to self-manage and gain support from both their peers and their wider communities. The Midlothian TCAT project aims to be consistent with these priorities and ways of working. One of the key activities surrounding this is the proposed plan to pilot the use of a health and wellbeing bus in partnership with the Midlothian libraries service. This will allow the project to target harder to reach areas experiencing greater deprivation.