UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) National Collaborative: Building a Community of Practice.

BACKGROUND

Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) delivers multi-professional and proactive support for people with treatable but not curable cancer by addressing physical, psychological and social needs throughout the disease trajectory from the point of diagnosis. Since the dissolution of the national NHS England Commissioning for Quality and Innovation funding, ESC services in the UK have lacked standardisation, financial backing and strategic oversight.

OBJECTIVES

To create a national collaborative ESC framework by identifying evidence-based care models, mapping existing national services and informing future commissioning and research.

METHODS

The ESC Steering Group was established in 2022 under the UK Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and developed two workstreams in collaboration with patient and public involvement: (1) an international scoping review to define components of effective ESC models and (2) a national survey to evaluate current ESC service provision, barriers, facilitators and measurable outcomes.

RESULTS

The UKASCC ESC National Collaborative involves over 40 professionals from 27 organisations and found considerable variation in ESC service delivery, therefore supporting the need for a standardised, evidence-informed model. The scoping review and survey distribution are in progress.

SUMMARY: The UKASCC ESC National Collaborative demonstrates the power of collaborative working in supportive oncology. Despite challenges, this network guides national ESC development and aims to support a future research portfolio and commissioning strategy.