What are Holistic Needs Assessments?

An holistic needs assessment (HNA or eHNA) is a simple questionaire for people living with cancer that can be carried out at any stage of the cancer pathway, on paper or electronically, to help you:

• identify your concerns and what matters most to you
• start a conversation about your needs
• develop a Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP)
• be given the right information, at the right times
• be signposted to relevant services based on the needs you have identified

At Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, cancer teams use the Macmillan My Care Plan HNA concerns checklist. You can fill this out online or on papaer with your cancer nursing team. It usually takes around 10 minutes to complete.

After the questionaire, the cancer nursing team will arrange a phone-call appointment with you. During this appointment, the cancer nursing team will discuss your concerns with you, options for support and agree a support plan with you. This support plan is also known as a Personalised Care Support Plan (PCSP).

There is a lot of information and advice about how to complete a HNA questionaire and make the most use of it by clicking on this Holistic Needs Assessment link here.

Please see two videos below that discuss in more detail about holistic needs assessments (HNA) and electronic holistic needs assessments (eHNA).

Personalised care and support plans (PCSP) are care plans created from the holistic needs assessments you will have with your specialist cancer teams. This involves you and your cancer team creating a support plan together.

These care plans make sure that any physical, practical, emotional or social needs you may have are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.

A personalised care and support plan can help with:

• keeping a record of the supportive conversations, decisions and agreed outcomes you have with your specialist team
• help your specialist team understand your care and support needs, your life and family situation
• work with your specialist team to know what is needed to make the plan achievable and effective for you

For some people, the end of treatment means they are not likely to need any more cancer treatment. Some people may have ongoing treatment to help reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. For others, treatment is about managing the cancer over a long period of time.

When your treatment ends, you may feel relieved. But you may still have side effects from treatment and other emotions to cope with. You will need time to find out what is now normal for you. It can take time to adjust.

You may also be thinking about positive changes you want to make. These might include focusing on your well-being or planning some things to look forward to.

Towards the end of your treatment, you usually have a discussion with someone from your cancer team. This may be with your cancer clinician and/or specialist team. They will tell you what to expect after treatment ends. They will also ask about any concerns or specific needs you have and provide you and your GP with an End of Treatment Summary.

A Treatment Summary is a document produced by the hospital clinician / specialist team at the end of your initial treatment for cancer. It’s designed to be shared with you and your GP.

The End of Treatment Summary (EOTS) usually contains:

• an overview of any treatment you have received
• details of any potential side effects of treatment
• any red flag signs and symptoms of cancer recurrence
• contact details of the specialist team to address any concerns you or your GP may have

The End of Treatment Summary also supports your GP or practice nurse with your cancer care review after you have finished your treatment.

• Life after cancer treatment

A cancer care review (CCR) is a conversation bwteeen you and your GP or practice nurse about your cancer journey. This can help you to:

• talk about your cancer experience and concerns
• understand what support is available in your community
• receive the information you need to begin supported self-management

Cancer care reviews are usually carried out at the time of your cancer diagnosis (within 3 months) and after you have received your treatment (within 12 months).

Sharing the right information, at the right times, helps people living with cancer, their family and friends get the support they need before, during and after cancer treatment. This information can be shared in many ways, including through the holistic needs assessment and personalised care and support plan, at a clinic appointment or virtually to help people feel fully supported.

By having the right information, at the right times, it will provide people with a much better understanding of their cancer, as well as the confidence to make informed choices about their treatment. This information can help imrpove knowledge of:

• the signs and symptoms of cancer recurrence
• the consequences of cancer treatment
• how to deal with the physical and emotional impavts of cancer
• what support is available and how to access it

Holistic Needs Assessment: Planning your care and support

Finishing cancer treatment | Macmillan Cancer Support

Life after cancer treatment

Healthy lifestyle after cancer treatment | Macmillan Cancer Support

What to do after cancer treatment ends: 10 top tips

Your feelings after cancer treatment

Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) – easy read booklet

What happens after cancer treatment ends – easy read booklet

Things that are important to me – easy read booklet

7 steps to equal healthcare – easy read booklet

Talking about cancer and your feelings – easy read booklet