The organisation of cancer nursing services in the UK: A review of current practices

Abstract

The reorganization of cancer services in recent years has presented cancer nursing with a range of organisational and developmental challenges. It is therefore encouraging to note that the specialty has evolved to the extent that an efficient and effective cancer nursing workforce is now acknowledged as a prerequisite for the provision of high-quality cancer care (Department of Health, 1995; 2000a; 2000b). However, despite the advances there has been little evaluation of the critical issues faced by specialist cancer nurses. This project was undertaken as part of a larger scoping exercise designed to assimilate an evidence base to support the development, delivery and evaluation of UK cancer nursing services. This element of the project aimed to provide information to support the development and organisation of cancer nursing services by focusing on specific aspects of care (DoH, 2000a). The results indicate that lead cancer nurses are striving to ensure that patients are provided with the best quality care through nurses' participation in collaborative endeavours, for example with the primary care and the voluntary sectors. There is still much to be achieved, primarily in the areas of workforce planning, the skill development of non-specialist nurses, and research and development. The evidence demonstrates that cancer nursing will continue to accept the challenges of changing practice, working to ensure that patients receive a high-quality service.