Peer Evaluator Insights Report

"It's that word cancer.... I could talk about it quite openly before the diagnosis but when it was myself I couldn't"

From 2022-2023, the Peer Evaluator project worked in partnership with individuals affected by cancer from seldom heard communities to gather lived experiences to inform the national Transforming Cancer Care programme with the specific aim of working towards greater person centeredness.

The Peer evaluator report details the factors which can impact on someone’s cancer experience, whether that is someone who has received a diagnosis of cancer or someone who is there to support and care for someone with a diagnosis. From everyday encounters with staff members in clinical and cancer support environments, to the availability of information and the degree of support offered, these factors can all influence the experience of individuals who are affected by cancer.

The Peer Evaluator project had two special focuses. One was to understand the barriers that individuals can face when accessing or attempting to access cancer services, and the second was to learn more about the experiences of individuals affected by cancer from sensory loss communities and minority ethnic communities to ensure services can better respond to the needs of individuals. Jeff Ace, chair of the Transforming Cancer Care Executive Groups has commented that:

“We want to thank and extend our appreciation to the peer evaluators and Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland for the time and effort they took to reach out to communities so we can better understand the cancer experiences of a wider range of people.  

Whilst we’re pleased to see examples of outstanding care and compassion, other findings are hard hitting and highlight the barriers and challenges some people still sadly face. The Transforming Cancer Care Executive Group remain committed to improving the cancer journey for everyone impacted by cancer in Scotland. We will continue to make sure that we listen to people affected by cancer, including the insights shared in this report, to make sure people’s lived experience of cancer drives change and better meets people’s individual needs if impacted by cancer”

Jeff Ace, chair of the Transforming Cancer Care Executive Group

The report details what is working well in cancer services and highlights positive examples of care while drawing attention to the topic of stigma within cancer care and the various barriers that individuals continue to face across the population.

The full report is included at the bottom of this page.

If you would like to read the quantitative analysis report, please contact macmillan@alliance-scotland.org.uk

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