Supportive and palliative care networks: a new model for integrated care

Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the UK, and recent Government health policy has responded to this with a number of specific developments. Foremost among these is 'The NHS Cancer Plan' (Department of Health, 2000), which established cancer networks as a new model of integrated cancer care service provision. In response, palliative care providers have initiated the development of networks for supportive services of patients alongside the cancer networks to improve coordination of care. This article will briefly discuss the parallel development of cancer and supportive care networks and examine what form the latter will eventually take.