AQW 29375/22-27
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast
Tabled Date: 26/06/2025
Answered On Date: 07/07/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail what funding and support is available for families and carers of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, particularly in relation to palliative care and psychological support.
Answer:
Specialist support services are available across Health and Social Care Trusts for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and their families. Clinical Nurse Specialists are the first point of contact and key worker for any person diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, providing ongoing support for individuals and their families, including during hospital admissions. They work across upper gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers and are employed in each Trust area. Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment to understand the clinical, physical, psychological, emotional, social, financial and spiritual concerns which arise for the patient and their family. Individual needs are assessed and prioritised, which may lead to referrals for psychological support or to a specialist benefits advice service to expedite financial assistance. Patients and their families may be referred to Cancer Focus if they would benefit from psychological support. The Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer charity (NIPANC) sponsor counselling services specifically for pancreatic cancer patients. Children of patients can also avail of counselling services through Cancer Fund for Children and Cancer Focus. Clinical Nurse Specialists make onward referrals for appropriate support and signpost patients to the Macmillan Information and Support service. The Macmillan Information and Support service provides further information and connection with local voluntary and community services where patients and family members can benefit from complementary therapies and activities such as yoga, pilates and walking groups. When a patient with terminal pancreatic cancer is identified as being in the final year of life, a Palliative Care Keyworker, typically a District Nurse, will support the patient and those important to them. A Palliative Care Needs Assessment is undertaken to address the patient's physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs, ensuring a holistic approach to person centred care. The keyworker coordinates care and provides consistent support to the patient and their family, sensitively referring on to other services as appropriate. Where the patient presents with complex symptoms or circumstances that cannot be met by the core healthcare team, a referral is made to the appropriate local specialist palliative care service for further support and intervention. My Department is currently addressing funding needs of Clinical Nurse Specialists in order to provide stability to the service and ensure experienced staff are retained in their positions. This is made possible through the Elective Care Implementation and Funding Plan 2025-2028.
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