Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing financial support for nurse-led arts and crafts groups for patients (a) with and (b) recovering from cancer.

We are committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.

We are supporting those experiencing cancer with access to psychosocial support, which can include NHS Talking Therapy services and evidence-based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression. In addition, NHS England has published service specifications for providers of children and young people’s cancer services, including reducing physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment.

We recognise the importance of using the voluntary and community sector to provide a range of holistic support offers for patients’ wellbeing and mental health. Social prescribing is a key component of the National Health Service’s Universal Personalised Care and is a way for general practices or local agencies to refer people to a Social Prescribing Link Worker. Social prescribing link workers focus on ‘what matters to me’ and connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support, including arts-based activities.