Dorset Cancer Network Patient Partnership Panel
About us
There are many government initiatives that support and drive the need for active patient partnership involvement. Dorset Cancer Network (DCN) is fully and actively committed to involving cancer patients and their carers when prioritising, developing and planning cancer services across Dorset.
To support user involvement at a local level the DCN Patient Partnership Panel was established in 2002 with the aim of providing a forum where patients and carers can contribute to the development of local cancer services.
A proactive group working with healthcare professionals across Dorset, we have developed guidance and strategies to support patient and public involvement and drive forward the user involvement agenda. We have developed levels of involvement which have been shared with other networks and disease sites at national and local level, a user involvement strategy for cancer, guidance to support professionals and various reports on our work and achievements.
Please note that we are not a complaints or support group although the group does feel it is supportive of its members and training is provided to support the role.
We have links with cancer support groups across Dorset and nationally.
Key Achievements
The DCN Patient Partnership Panel has been instrumental in a number of key initiatives including:
- developing a Patients End of Life Charter
- free 20-minute car parking spaces for radiotherapy patients
- raising the awareness of the cost of travel and transport for attending hospital for treatment
- raising the profile and need for psychological support for cancer patients and their carers
- supporting the setting up of cancer support groups
- being involved in the Peer Review Quality Assurance process for cancer services
- helping to develop and carry out surveys on patient experience
- active engagement within the review of specialist palliative care services across NHS Bournemouth and Poole.
