Multidisciplinary supportive care in cancer: cost analysis

Enhanced supportive care (ESC) is the early implementation of supportive care in cancer. In England, this model is being developed to support patients with treatable but not curable cancer and implements a multiprofessional approach.To describe the workforce and cost-effectiveness of an outpatient ESC service in a tertiary cancer centre in England.Workforce costs to deliver ESC to 265 patients was collected. Service impact on secondary care usage in the last year of life was compared against the regional and national average derived from the National Health Service Digital Secondary Uses Service dataset.Our ESC service required the input of seven professional groups and cost £125 542 for 12 months. ESC patients had an average of 1.72 fewer admissions per patient per last year of life than the national average. Length of stay was reduced from an average of 9.2 days to 4.78 days per admission in the last year of life. The reduced secondary care usage saved £2 398 537.68.Outpatient ESC in this cohort required an multidisciplinary team approach and saved money through secondary care use reduction.