Exploring referrals to a specialist NHS cancer psychology service: a retrospective audit
To learn about the demographics of patients referred for specialist psychological support within a cancer psychology service (CPS)
To explore how CPS referral patterns vary by patient characteristics such as age, gender and tumour type compared with local trust data on new cancer diagnoses
To recognise how audit can be used to identify potential inequities in access to specialist psychological services
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence requires NHS commissioners and service providers to provide psychosocial support for patients with cancer within a tiered service model, including specialist psychological support. This retrospective audit examined referral patterns to a specialist NHS cancer psychology service (CPS) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. Referral data (
