Edinburgh Napier University

  This is the first report from a five-year evaluation of Glasgow’s ‘Improving the Cancer Journey’ programme. Improving the Cancer Journey (hereafter referred to as ICJ) was launched in 2014. ICJ is a community-based service supporting people affected by cancer in Glasgow, Scotland. It supports people by providing structured individualised assessment and care to all local people diagnosed with cancer. In brief, ICJ writes to all people newly diagnosed with any type of cancer within the Glasgow City Council area to offer holistic needs assessment. Holistic needs assessment (HNA) is a structured method of discussing someone’s physical, emotional, family, practical, lifestyle and spiritual needs. If people contact ICJ to accept the offer of assessment, a ‘link officer’ from Glasgow City Council then arranges to see them in a convenient location. At the visit the link officer conducts the assessment and then helps address any identified concerns by signposting or referring the person to relevant services.