Digital service launched to help oesophageal cancer patients

A new smart phone app and web portal to help oesophageal cancer patients and their carers understand and manage their journey better has been launched today by UCL, University College London Hospital (UCLH) and digital health company, Living With. The personalised service, which is being piloted by the NHS in London, will allow clinical nurse specialists to have more time to monitor patients' progress, provide relevant information and improve the care they can offer. Oesophageal (gullet) cancer is the fourth largest cause of cancer death in the UK and it has one of the highest death rates of any cancer. In London a new care pathway has been established for people with oesophageal cancer living in the north, central and east London Cancer Alliance. Surgery is performed by a single 'high volume' specialist centre based at University College Hospital (UCH), with supportive care delivered by local hospitals. This new pathway has shown to have better outcomes; however, it can cause problems for patients and health care staff, that the app and web portal has been designed to address. Patients often have their treatment spread between several different hospitals, which can be confusing and lead to missed appointments.