Finalist
Defining high quality care for haematological cancer patients
Summary of work
Haematological cancers cover around 140 different conditions. The heterogeneous nature of this group of cancers should not mean that patients experience variations in standards of care.
Although information about patients’ experiences of care is increasingly collected within the NHS, this is not always translated into tangible action that the NHS needs to take in the interests of patients. Using the insights and experiences of patients and carers, this survey enabled Leukaemia CARE to identify those aspects of care which mattered most to haematological cancer patients.
By defining what high quality care meant for patients, a compelling report was developed featuring a targeted number of priority recommendations for the NHS. Bringing the data to life around key parts of the patient pathway helped make the case for improvements in care in a compelling way that was relevant to cancer services within the current NHS context. This resulted in high impact engagement not only with policymakers and national-level NHS leaders, but also with professional organisations to address elements of clinical practice which affect blood cancer patients the most.
Judges’ comments
It is good to see a partnership between pharma and a patient group that engaged directly with stakeholders and demonstrated clear insights, as well as calls to action. This creatively worked around NHS priorities at a time of significant change.
