National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Remit for Cancer Service Guidance

Supportive and Palliative Care

The following remit was received from the Department of Health and National Assembly for Wales in 2000 as part of the Institute's Cancer Service Guidance programme of work.

"The guideline will provide guidance on best practice in supportive care for all cancers. The areas covered by the guideline will include evidence-based recommendations for supportive care networks, information delivery and communication, inter-professional communication, symptom control and access to specialist palliative care, community supportive care, complementary therapies, models of psychological care, social inclusion, users and carers' needs, social care and meaning and belief. It will to underpin the development of a supportive and palliative care strategy, one of the National Cancer Director's top priorities. It will complement the current programme of cancer service delivery guidance which covers treatment of the main tumour groups."