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Since the mid-1980s, female breast cancer deaths have fallen by 40% in the UK, largely due to increasingly successful treatments. The growing number of cancer survivors has resulted in a move away from traditional follow-up methods, towards supported self-management programmes. This article describes a service evaluation project in which patients who attended an end-of-treatment interview were asked about their experience of a newly implemented supported self-management programme. Analysis of the data reveals that patients understand the new pathway, and are confident in the system and their own ability to reaccess clinicians when required. It also shows that breast care nurses can help reduce hospital appointments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer incidence is increasing year on year; survivorship rates are also increasing, as is the use of novel agents and additional treatment lines. These factors, along with evidence that suggests people are struggling to cope with the long-term effects of their diagnosis and its treatment, suggest we need to transform our approach to care and make better use of primary care, community assets and self-management. Transforming Care After Treatment (TCAT) was launched in 2013. A partnership between the Scottish Government, Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Scotland and local authorities, it is intended to support and enable cancer survivors to live as healthy a life as possible for as long as possible. NHS Ayrshire and Arran worked with local patients and other partners to develop an action plan to meet TCAT's aims. In 2014, the TCAT team began to introduce initiatives that would support holistic care throughout the extended cancer pathway. One such initiative was a treatment summary. The approach to its implementation and patients' and GPs' perspectives of its initial effect are outlined in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]