Cancer centre could lose support staff in funding shake-up

An award-winning cancer care centre is on course to lose most of its support staff because its main funders have had their own money cut.

The Southport and Formby Cancer Information and Support Centre sees about 800 new people a year for counselling, social groups and practical help, and could lose four full-time roles in the changes.

Many of those services are delivered by cancer navigators, who are paid for by the local Primary Care Network, which represents GPs. But the network said it was facing a £420,000 funding cut from NHS England.

The money will be given directly to GPs instead, specifically to create more appointments. NHS England said the funding changes would help practices to "prioritise clinically urgent needs".

The centre was set up in 2012 to offer emotional and practical support to patients dealing with the many challenges of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Norma Williams has been attending for a year.

She said her treatment for breast cancer had left her with other long lasting health issues.

"Once you've had cancer, you're a different person altogether. It's something you can't explain," she said.

Norma said she felt "lost" and "all over the place" when she was first diagnosed.

"I didn't know how to adjust to my different lifestyle," she said.

People dealing with cancer, like many long term illnesses, can face many issues ranging from depression to money issues or even just difficulty in accessing the right information.

The centre's cancer navigators work to guide patients through those problems. Several also offer talking therapies for those struggling to come to terms with their illness.

Donna Weston has worked there for five years and is a trained counsellor.

"We give a lot of emotional support, but from the practicality, we can refer into a lot of different services," she said.

"We have access to occupational therapy services, emergency services within the NHS, dieticians, all sorts."

Kerynne Robertson, who has incurable breast cancer, said the service was invaluable.

"All the navigators tend to know everybody but there is one person you can go to at any point with any worry, however small," she said.

"That person is there for you."

But that navigator service is now under threat.

While the centre itself is funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, the cancer navigators are paid for by the umbrella organisation for the area's GPs.

The Southport and Formby Primary Care Network (PCN) represents the 14 GP practices in the area. It has already warned the centre that the money for the navigators could stop at the end of the financial year.

PCN director Dr Rob Caudwell said the value of the service is not in doubt.

"We know they offer a great service to patients, they support practices," he said.

"This isn't anything to do with the quality or the value of service – it's about funds."

PCNs provide some central services to the member GP practices, and fund others.

In Southport and Formby's case those include care home visits, a pharmacy support team, mental health workers and digital support.

Some, like weekend and evening surgery appointments, are services they have to offer while others, like the cancer navigators, are discretionary.

At the beginning of this financial year NHS England changed its GP funding model nationally to give less to the PCNs and more to GPs directly – with an obligation on those GPs to use the extra cash to increase the number of appointments they offer.

The government wants patients to have better access to GPs – since 2019 demand for appointments has gone up by nearly 25% and this move is designed to help ease pressure on the system.

But Southport and Formby PCN says the funding change means it has lost about £420,000 and as a result, can no longer afford to fund the cancer navigators.

"There is no good choice in this," said Dr Caudwell.

"We want to offer these services in the community but we need to be funded to do it."

Cancer centre manager Justine Shenton said the move would ultimately cost the NHS more because the people using their services would end up back at the GPs

"What we're really worried about is that new people won't get to hear about us in the same way any more," she said.

Currently each navigator works with a number of GP surgeries to signpost newly diagnosed patients to the centre and other services.

"So instead of meeting somebody quite early on and being able to problem solve at that point, they are maybe going to come and see us much further down the line where things have become quite complicated," Shenton continued.

"Maybe they've fallen into financial difficulty, perhaps they've fallen into depression because of not getting any help.

"So when you can't have an intervention at the right time, later on much more help is usually required."

Justine added that the navigators can refer patients directly to other NHS services – a job which would need to be done in future by the GPs.

The government wants healthcare to be closer to home and based in the community.

Those opposing this move say their service provides exactly that.

They now want the government to look again at the funding cut to the PCNs

Cancer patient Norma said the loss of the cancer navigators would be "horrendous".

"You'd be bottling it all up, you'd have nobody to talk to. You wouldn't know how to cope," she said.

NHS England said the decision on whether to fund the cancer navigators would be a local one. They declined to give a formal statement but pointed us towards a letter sent to GPs and Primary Care Networks in March.

It stated: "General practice is the front door of the NHS and we are committed to ensuring that it can continue to deliver for patients now and in the future.

"GP capacity is the most effective and sustainable way to improve access and patient experience of general practice, particularly in delivering same-day access for clinically urgent patients. In 2026/27 changes to the contract will support this."

A final decision is expected by the Southport and Formby PCN by the middle of the month.

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