Holistic Needs Assessment

A Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) gives you a chance to think about your concerns and discuss possible solutions.

It is called 'holistic' because the assessment looks at needs or concerns you may have about any area of your life and not just about the symptoms of cancer.

These concerns can be:

Physical
Emotional
Practical
Financial
Spiritual

You will talk about these with your link worker and make a plan to address your care and support needs. The link worker will be your main contact for advice and information.

Having an HNA is about recognising that any area of your life affected by cancer is important. It gives you the time to explore what resources, help and support are available.

What happens as a Holistic Needs Assessment?

An HNA usually has three parts:

You answer a simple set of questions or fill in a checklist about all areas of your life. This is to identify any concerns you may have. You are often asked to rate how mild or severe your concerns are. This can help decide what needs to be dealt with first.
You discuss answers with your link worker. This is a chance to talk about the issues you have identified. You can bring a carer, family member or friend to this meeting.
You create a care plan together. You will then discuss and plan how to deal with your concerns. This is sometimes referred to as a care plan. The care plan may include things like ideas to help you manage emotional, physical or practical worries. It will also include contact details for organisations or services that could help with your concerns, such as the Macmillan benefits team or a dietician.

Your link worker will write down the actions you agree on. You will then be offered a copy of this plan to take away with you. It may also be shared with other members of your healthcare team if it will help with your care

Where can we meet?

We can meet you at Market House, at the Gilbert Bain hospital or in some cases at your house.

Or we can make a time to talk over the telephone or online via video call.

The information you provide will help those caring for you understand your situation better and where appropriate, create a personalised care and support plan for you. Although Macmillan provides this tool it does not have any involvement in developing individual care and support plans, any responsibility or liability for these or for any treatment or advice provided by clinicians, the NHS, social care teams, or any other services sits with NHS Shetland and those other care providers that are appointed to assist you.