Development of a shared care programme for children with cancer

The management of cancer services for children and their families at one regional paediatric oncology centre has changed recently to involve the paediatric department of the child's local District General Hospital (DGH). This system has been named shared care. A philosophy of shared care has been identified whereby the concept of holistic care is promoted across health-care boundaries, moving away from the traditional medical model of care where the patient is delivered to the care system, to a holistic one, where the system is delivered to the patient. This paper discusses the development of such a practice within a regional paediatric oncology centre where 36 DGHs currently purchase oncology services. It focuses on the changes in practice and attitudes that were required by all the staff at the regional oncology centre and the dissemination of specialist skills and knowledge to the health-care teams participating in shared care. The transition period and ongoing changes in practice will be identified with recommendations for further developments required to meet the ever-changing needs of children with cancer and their families.