Purpose of Improving Cancer Journey

Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) is a service provided by West Dunbartonshire Council in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support and our key service partners (ICJ Partners). Individuals who participate in the ICJ service will receive direct assistance, advice and information, including:

  • A Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) which will be completed after you’ve contacted the ICJ service;
  • An individual care plan which will be designed to help you, carers or your family members;
  • You’ll receive support from a dedicated link worker;
  • You’ll receive effective health and social care support solutions, based on the Holistic Needs Assessment outcomes;
  • You’ll receive re-enablement and rehabilitation packages to ensure health and wellbeing beyond clinical treatment pathways.

The ICJ Partners:

West Dunbartonshire Council – has the responsibility for developing and delivering the programme on behalf of the partners. The council also provides the governance for the project. West Dunbartonshire Council’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) provide links to social work services and provide their expertise in helping to support the development and delivery of the service. H&SC also provide direct access to the carers assessment centres to support carers and families of people affected by cancer.

Macmillan Cancer Support – provides the majority of the funding for the project. Macmillan also brings a wealth of experience in developing services to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Macmillan has also provided training and support for the staff responsible for delivering the service.

Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS – provide the clinical support and their vast expertise in providing appropriate health care for people affected by cancer.

Care at Home in West Dunbartonshire – provide the homecare service for West Dunbartonshire Council and Improving Cancer Journey. They provide direct access and information on the services they provide and share their experience to help inform the home and personal care needs of people affected by cancer.

West Dunbartonshire Leisure – provide the culture and leisure services for West Dunbartonshire Council and has developed physical activity services for people affected by cancer.

Who holds the information provided in my Holistic Needs Assessment?

The information which you provide as part of your Holistic Needs Assessment may be processed by West Dunbartonshire Council, which is the data controller of personal data provided as part of your referral to ICJ and your HNA for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Your health records which are held and processed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will not be shared with or processed by West Dunbartonshire Council or the other ICJ Partners.

Sharing your information Officers within the Council’s ICJ team may use the personal data which it holds in order to develop a care plan and achieve the purposes of the ICJ programme described above. Sharing your personal data with other departments within West Dunbartonshire Council and with our ICJ Partners will assist with the development of your personal care plan and provide access to services which could enhance the support and care which you will receive as part of ICJ. We may also signpost/refer you to other services after receiving your consent.

This will allow our service to make referrals to and share your personal data, including sensitive personal data (such as information relating to your religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature), with our ICJ Partners to secure services to meet patients’ needs. For example, we might use your information to secure appropriate benefits and/or the provision of care and support from Care at Home or NHS.

We may also anonymise your data and use this information to evaluate the Improving the Cancer Journey Service. We may also provide anonymised information to Macmillan Cancer Support for the purpose of evaluation and review. If we do anonymise your data you will not be identifiable in any way.