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Date issued: November 2023

For review: November 2025

Ref: A-423/oncology/GB/enhanced supportive care v3

PDF:  enhanced supportive care.pdf[pdf] 212KB

Supportive Care: A positive approach

Supportive Care provides a positive and individualised approach for patients who are living with incurable cancer. 

Supportive Care is delivered by nurses and other healthcare professionals who are specifically trained to manage the problems caused by cancer or cancer treatments.  We will work alongside your Oncology team to provide the best possible supportive treatment.

If it would help, they can also talk to you about how you are coping, what is important to you when deciding on cancer treatments and also discuss your goals and plans for the future.

What is Supportive Care?

Supportive care helps people to stay well during non-curative cancer treatment and after treatment has finished.

Supportive care focuses on managing any adverse effects caused by cancer or cancer treatment.

Supportive Care is a new scheme designed to make sure that you have improved access to a specialist in supportive care treatments.

Will Supportive Care treatments affect treatments for my cancer?

No. Supportive care treatments work alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy so will not affect or interfere with your cancer treatment.

How will Supportive Care help me?

Support Care Specialists can:

• Help to treat symptoms caused by your cancer or cancer treatment

• Provide both practical advice and emotional support

Does Supportive Care really work?

Research shows that early access to supportive care can help patients to feel better during their cancer treatment. Supportive Care has been shown to prevent problems escalating and helps to keep people at home rather than in hospital.

Supportive Care Team of Specialists

The team includes a support Dietician as well as two Nurses. In addition to working alongside your Oncology team, we also work with the Mustard Tree and all relevant community teams, including your GP, to ensure full supportive care is provided.

Your Treatment/Care Plan following Assessment

Your healthcare professional is: ……………………………………….

Supportive Care Office Telephone number: 01752 437897

We aim to respond to phone enquiries within 24 hours during the working week. This is not an emergency response line.

Your Cancer Nurse Specialist is:………………..……………………………………………