UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) national collaborative: building a community of practice
UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) national collaborative: building a community of practice
Background: Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) delivers multi-professional and proactive support for people with treatable but not curable cancer by addressing physical, psychological and social needs throughout the disease trajectory from the point of diagnosis. Since the dissolution of the national NHS England Commissioning for Quality and Innovation funding, ESC services in the UK have lacked standardisation, financial backing and strategic oversight.
Objectives: to create a national collaborative ESC framework by identifying evidence-based care models, mapping existing national services and informing future commissioning and research.
Methods: the ESC Steering Group was established in 2022 under the UK Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and developed two workstreams in collaboration with patient and public involvement: (1) an international scoping review to define components of effective ESC models and (2) a national survey to evaluate current ESC service provision, barriers, facilitators and measurable outcomes.
Results: the UKASCC ESC National Collaborative involves over 40 professionals from 27 organisations and found considerable variation in ESC service delivery, therefore supporting the need for a standardised, evidence-informed model. The scoping review and survey distribution are in progress.
Summary: the UKASCC ESC National Collaborative demonstrates the power of collaborative working in supportive oncology. Despite challenges, this network guides national ESC development and aims to support a future research portfolio and commissioning strategy.
Integrative Oncology, Palliative Care, Supportive care
Walsh, Shahlaa
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Sheppard, Joanna
563865c0-3bae-4f41-9919-2347ff644682
Lister-Flynn, Stephanie
e5e4ddd7-9856-4d10-b84d-7d2b619d6cb2
Droney, Joanne
bee05682-e129-42f4-8f08-fa14a36ca603
Calman, Lynn
9ae254eb-74a7-4906-9eb4-62ad99f058c1
Gopal, Dipesh
80ae77c3-62e4-4d6e-b522-025fcdab376a
Minton, Ollie
67220849-ee0e-4b3d-89f6-9ad96a168d84
Chamberlain, Charlotte
c18ff4ee-e589-4408-9ef2-6ee3962dc43e
Chester, Avril
3620703e-c37a-49eb-b38b-951e260e3644
Taylor, Sally
e733f7d9-4e20-4edd-b70b-a43bd8a2c28f
Law, Kate
a8574e25-a873-4074-8a43-34c8bae013a2
Monnery, Daniel
9510260a-bf72-41b2-b591-09d1773d7d30
Walsh, Shahlaa
02db358d-9ec3-472c-9953-12cfa8289a2e
Sheppard, Joanna
563865c0-3bae-4f41-9919-2347ff644682
Lister-Flynn, Stephanie
e5e4ddd7-9856-4d10-b84d-7d2b619d6cb2
Droney, Joanne
bee05682-e129-42f4-8f08-fa14a36ca603
Calman, Lynn
9ae254eb-74a7-4906-9eb4-62ad99f058c1
Gopal, Dipesh
80ae77c3-62e4-4d6e-b522-025fcdab376a
Minton, Ollie
67220849-ee0e-4b3d-89f6-9ad96a168d84
Chamberlain, Charlotte
c18ff4ee-e589-4408-9ef2-6ee3962dc43e
Chester, Avril
3620703e-c37a-49eb-b38b-951e260e3644
Taylor, Sally
e733f7d9-4e20-4edd-b70b-a43bd8a2c28f
Law, Kate
a8574e25-a873-4074-8a43-34c8bae013a2
Monnery, Daniel
9510260a-bf72-41b2-b591-09d1773d7d30
Walsh, Shahlaa, Sheppard, Joanna, Lister-Flynn, Stephanie, Droney, Joanne, Calman, Lynn, Gopal, Dipesh, Minton, Ollie, Chamberlain, Charlotte, Chester, Avril, Taylor, Sally, Law, Kate and Monnery, Daniel
(2025)
UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) national collaborative: building a community of practice.
BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
(doi:10.1136/spcare-2025-005785).
Abstract
Background: Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) delivers multi-professional and proactive support for people with treatable but not curable cancer by addressing physical, psychological and social needs throughout the disease trajectory from the point of diagnosis. Since the dissolution of the national NHS England Commissioning for Quality and Innovation funding, ESC services in the UK have lacked standardisation, financial backing and strategic oversight.
Objectives: to create a national collaborative ESC framework by identifying evidence-based care models, mapping existing national services and informing future commissioning and research.
Methods: the ESC Steering Group was established in 2022 under the UK Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (UKASCC) and developed two workstreams in collaboration with patient and public involvement: (1) an international scoping review to define components of effective ESC models and (2) a national survey to evaluate current ESC service provision, barriers, facilitators and measurable outcomes.
Results: the UKASCC ESC National Collaborative involves over 40 professionals from 27 organisations and found considerable variation in ESC service delivery, therefore supporting the need for a standardised, evidence-informed model. The scoping review and survey distribution are in progress.
Summary: the UKASCC ESC National Collaborative demonstrates the power of collaborative working in supportive oncology. Despite challenges, this network guides national ESC development and aims to support a future research portfolio and commissioning strategy.
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Final_Clean_Manuscript-Building_a_Community_of_Practice_July_2025_
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Accepted/In Press date: 16 September 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 5 October 2025
Keywords:
Integrative Oncology, Palliative Care, Supportive care
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 507406
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/507406
ISSN: 2045-435X
PURE UUID: fafa1591-3038-4e1e-b3d8-b4216857511d
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Date deposited: 09 Dec 2025 17:33
Last modified: 10 Dec 2025 02:43
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Contributors
Author:
Shahlaa Walsh
Author:
Joanna Sheppard
Author:
Stephanie Lister-Flynn
Author:
Joanne Droney
Author:
Dipesh Gopal
Author:
Ollie Minton
Author:
Charlotte Chamberlain
Author:
Avril Chester
Author:
Sally Taylor
Author:
Kate Law
Author:
Daniel Monnery
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