Kindly funded by Macmillan Cancer Care
Cancer care that reflects us
A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing — and if you're already living with a disability or long-term health condition, you may face extra challenges throughout your cancer journey. It can be harder to access services, communicate your needs, manage everyday life, or cope with the emotional and practical impact of treatment.
Cancer Connect provides personalised, community-focused support for disabled people affected by cancer. Using our Social Prescribing+ approach, we work alongside you to understand how your disability and cancer affect your daily life — helping you access the right support, reduce barriers to care, and improve your wellbeing throughout your journey.
Your personalised support
What the project can offer
Using our enhanced Needs Assessment and Personal Progress (NAPP) tool — including a dedicated cancer support module — we take time to understand your individual needs, strengths and goals. Together, we build a personalised action plan focused on what matters most to you.
A dedicated Cancer Connect Worker
One consistent person who supports you throughout your journey and helps you navigate the cancer pathway.
Navigating services
Understanding what support is available, and help communicating your needs to healthcare professionals.
Practical & emotional support
Help managing the challenges and barriers that can come from living with both cancer and disability.
Advocacy
Support to help make sure your disability-related needs and reasonable adjustments are recognised.
Wellbeing & community
Access to wellbeing activities, community groups and local services near you.
Financial guidance
Information on benefits, transport, aids, equipment and home adaptations.
Signposting & referrals
Connections to specialist services, including mental health, carers' support and debt advice.
Flexible support
In person, at home, by telephone or online — whatever works best for you.
Connecting you to the right support
Help identifying and connecting with the services and organisations that fit your individual needs.
Cancer Connect in practice
Margaret's story
Margaret, 62, was referred to Cancer Connect by her Clinical Nurse Specialist following a breast cancer diagnosis. She also lives with Multiple Sclerosis, reduced mobility, chronic fatigue, anxiety and chronic pain — all of which made treatment and everyday life harder to manage.
The situation
- Felt overwhelmed by her diagnosis and struggled to understand information given during hospital appointments.
- Found it hard to explain how her disability affected her treatment, and didn't know what adjustments she could ask for.
- Travel to appointments was increasingly difficult due to fatigue, pain and limited accessible transport.
- Anxiety had increased sharply since diagnosis, leaving her isolated and low in confidence.
- Extra costs from cancer and disability were placing real financial pressure on her household.
- Wasn't aware of local support available to help emotionally, practically and financially.
12 weeks later
- A dedicated Cancer Connect Worker now provides consistent, trusted support.
- Prepared and supported for hospital appointments, helping her understand her options and speak up with confidence.
- Worked with her healthcare team to put reasonable adjustments in place for appointments and treatment.
- Supported to maximise her income and access financial assistance for cancer- and disability-related costs.
- Connected with local wellbeing activities and peer support, reducing loneliness and improving wellbeing.
- Reports feeling more confident managing her health and asking for the support she needs.
“Having one person who understood both her disability and her cancer diagnosis made a significant difference — helping her feel listened to, better prepared for treatment, and reassured that she didn't have to face her cancer journey alone.”
Margaret, supported by Cancer ConnectReady to get in touch?
How to refer someone to Cancer Connect
Download the referral form, complete it, and email it back to us — no online form, so information stays entirely within your own email.
Save the referral form PDF to your device.
Open it in Adobe Reader or Preview and fill in the fields on screen.
Save your completed form and attach it to an email to us.
Once complete, please email the saved PDF to:
Think Cancer Connect could help?
Whether you're living with cancer yourself, supporting someone who is, or referring on behalf of a patient or client — we're here to talk it through.