A result of this is that the increasing number of childhood cancer survivors being followed up was putting services under strain.

It was recognised that, in some cases, people could be safely discharged from follow-up after a certain period. At the same time, many people reported a dislike for having the label of being a ´cancer survivor’ attached to them across many years. 

We undertook a modelling approach for a national body in England. This involved analysing data from national sources and consulting with a wide range of professionals. 

The model defined options for adopting a tiered approach, in which an appropriate level of post-treatment follow-up would be provided, according to the needs of patients. This includes their risk of recurrence and post-treatment health problems. In some cases the approach would mean discharge from follow-up. 

The results of this work identified the costs of each option and made projections for the future capacity and the financial impact of such a system.

This work fed into a national development programme.