By The Nuffield Trust (2014)
This report presents the results of a study into the primary, secondary and social care use of people diagnosed with cancer. Improved survival rates, earlier detection and an ageing population have led to cancer incidence increasing, but it is now seen as a chronic condition rather than necessarily a fatal illness. This shift has led to a growing focus on survivorship, and on the long-term needs of those living with and after cancer. To find out how this impacts on the use of health and social care services, the study used data linkage methods to track the patterns of service use across health and social care in the year after people were diagnosed with cancer. It shows clear evidence of a social services response to a person being diagnosed with cancer.