Patients living with serious mental illness (SMI) often face additional barriers when accessing cancer care, including difficulties with communication, navigating clinical environments, heightened anxiety and inconsistent support across services.
Staff frequently report feeling uncertain about how best to recognise and respond to these needs in real time and where best to refer patients to for specialist input.
This resource was co-developed with subject matter experts across our SEL Trusts to provide quick, practical guidance that supports NHS staff in ensuring patients with serious mental illness receive the adjustments and consistent information needed to deliver equitable, compassionate, and person-centred cancer care, whether their SMI is diagnosed or undiagnosed.
This resource is designed for:
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Allied Health Professionals
- Diagnostic Teams
- Administrative and non-clinical colleagues
- Any staff member supporting patients cancer on a cancer pathway with mental health needs.
Click the button below to access (and save, for ease) the toolkit, and explore the topics you need, whenever you need them.