Scotland's Cancer Strategy Evaluation: Experiences of patient access and engagement with cancer treatment and support in rural and island areas, and in areas with higher deprivation

Glossary of abbreviations and terminology

A&E: Accident and Emergency department in an NHS hospital.

Acute Care: Care for medical, surgical, and mental health that requires hospital facilities.

ADP: Adult Disability Payment. This provides extra money to help someone who has a disability or long-term health condition that affects their everyday life.

AHP: Allied Health Professional. AHPs encompass 14 health professions: Art Therapists, Diagnostic Radiographers, Dietitians, Drama Therapists, Music Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Orthoptists, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Prosthetists, Orthotists, Speech and Language Therapists and Therapeutic Radiographers.

AI: Artificial Intelligence.

CNS: Clinical Nurse Specialists. CNSs are experienced registered nurses with specialist knowledge and education in cancer and cancer treatments. They provide clinical expertise and advice on cancer treatment, symptoms and side effects, as well as emotional support.

COM-B: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation in Behaviour. A model that conceptualises behaviour as the interaction of capability, opportunity, and motivation.

Community Care: Clinical care delivered close to home and supports individuals to remain in their homes and communities.

COVID: Coronavirus Disease.

COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019.

CT Scan: Computerised tomography scan. It uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the body

GP: General Practitioner. GPs are found in Primary Care and are often the source of referral for patients to Secondary Care where there is a suspicion of cancer.

Health Literacy: Multiple definitions exist, but fundamentally this refers to the literacy and numeracy skills that enable individuals to obtain, understand, appraise, and use information to make decisions and take actions that will have an impact on health status.

HNA: Holistic Needs Assessment. A process to identify the needs and concerns of an individual and develop a Personalised Care and Support Plan.

HSCP: Health and Social Care Partnership which brings together local authorities and local NHS boards to plan and deliver integrated adult community health.

ICJ: Improving the Cancer Journey. These services are part of a partnership programme funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and Scottish Government. As part of this programme, community-based ‘Improving the Cancer Journey’ (ICJ) services provide people recently diagnosed with cancer with access to a key support worker. The support worker will support individualised Holistic Needs Assessment and care planning.

Maggie’s Centre: A charity that offers free support to anyone with cancer and their families. Centres are located at several NHS hospitals, and support is also available online.

MDT: Multidisciplinary Team. A team of different health professionals who work together to plan and deliver an individual’s (cancer) treatment.

Mutual Aid: Mutual aid in NHS Scotland involves voluntary, non-legally binding cooperation between health boards and organisations to share resources—such as staff, equipment, or patient transfers—during emergencies or high-pressure periods like winter. It is used in exceptional circumstances to bolster capacity rather than replace standard supply chains.

NHS: National Health Service.

NHS Boards: NHS Scotland has 14 territorial NHS boards, which cover specific geographical areas. They are responsible for the protection and improvement of their population’s health, and for the delivery of frontline healthcare services. There are also seven special NHS boards.

Prehabilitation: Prehabilitation helps a patient prepare as best they can for treatment. It focuses on physical activity, psychological support, nutritional care, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction. As per the Scottish Government Key Principles for Implementation^[2], prehabilitation should be tailored to individual needs and start as early as possible. That means ‘universal’ prehabilitation and screening should be incorporated into all pathways and assessment carried out as necessary.

Primary Care: Primary health care is the first point of contact with the NHS. It includes community-based services provided by, for example, GPs, community nurses, pharmacists and by allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.

Realistic Medicine ^[3]: An approach to healthcare that puts patients at the centre of decisions made about their care, considering their individual circumstances and what matters most to them.

Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation is proactive and personalised care that supports a patient to reduce or manage the effects of cancer and its treatment.

SCAN: South East Scotland Cancer Network. SCAN is one of three Regional Cancer Networks operating in NHS Scotland.

Secondary Care: Mainly hospital-based health care provision, including emergency care (via Accident and Emergency), outpatient departments and elective treatments.

Self-Advocacy: A person’s ability to communicate and speak up for themselves about their needs and preferences.

Shared Decision-Making: A key aspect of Realistic Medicine^[3]. A collaborative, person-centred approach to making decisions about a patient’s care which emphasises patients’ agency and shifts away from a ‘doctor knows best’ culture. Ensuring patients are fully informed about their options is an important part of this.

SIMD: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ^[4]. This index is a relative measure of deprivation across small areas in Scotland. It is the Scottish Government's official tool for identifying those places in Scotland suffering from multiple deprivation. It incorporates several different aspects of deprivation, combining them into a single index. The seven domains considered are: income, employment, education, health, access to services, crime and housing.

SPoC: Single Point of Contact, a national initiative which aims to enhance existing services by providing dedicated person-centred support through the cancer pathway, helping to ensure people with cancer are at the heart of all decisions and actions involving them. SPoC is central to Ambition 7 of Scotland’s Cancer Strategy 2023-2033 ^[5], ‘Person-Centred Care for All’.

Third Sector: The third sector includes charities, social enterprises and community groups which deliver essential services.

Tertiary Care: Specialist health services for people with a condition requiring high levels of expertise and support services.

UK: United Kingdom.