Health Policy and Professional Practice- Assignment

Health Policy and Professional Practice- - Assignment Example The purpose of this essay is to discuss and critically analyze the Cancer Reform Strategy implemented by the Department of health in 2007 with reference to Clinical Nurse Specialist. The main focus of this essay will be on the Cancer Reform Strategy of 2007 (DOH, 2007). Various historical events related to cancer care that have influenced the development of the cancer Reform Strategy will be discussed. The essay will also examine the role of Clinical Nurse Specialists that has evolved as various developments took place in cancer care in England. In the mean time, various proposals of the coalition government, their policies, the role of Clinical Nurse Specialists and the implications of these policies and services on the patients will be discussed and critically analyzed. The role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist. Cancer is one of the major public health challenges all over the world including England. According to DOH (2007), each year, about 230,000 individuals in England are likel y to be diagnosed on cancer and more than half this number are likely to succumb to the disease. Thus, cancer is the leading cause of mortality under those 75 years of age. In 2005, 38 percent of premature deaths in population less than 75 years of age was because of cancer. 3 decades ago, the state of cancer therapy in England and other parts of UK were worst in the Western European region (DOH, 2000). Patients were referred late for treatment and those referred were diagnosed and treated late. There was no proper coordination between various health professionals and referrals were not made to the right place and in the right time. Also, there existed a wide gap and inequality in health care access. Those who were poor had poor access to health care facilities and were more likely to die once a diagnosis of cancer was established (DOH, 2000). Due to such and several other reasons, cancer patients in England has less survival prospects than those in other countries of Europe. For ca ncers like breast and bowel cancers, diagnosis was usually done in advanced stages due to lack of information for both the patient and general practitioner. Also, whatever services were available were patchy. The number of cancer specialists were less and the equipment for cancer detection, prevention, screening and management were outdated (Morries et al, 2007). The type of treatment delivered also was varied. While some received excellent care, others received neglected care in an insensitive manner. Long time periods of waiting and uncertainty of treatment outcomes harassed the patients. This was evident from the report by the Chief Medical Officers of England and Wales, popularly known as the Calman Hine report (1995), in which it was evident that the survival and services with reference to cancer had geographical inequalities. In this report, the authors suggested restructuring of cancer services in order to provide suitable access of cancer services to all communities, geograp hical areas and socioeconomic strata to high levels of expertise. They recommended improvements in cancer networks. In 1997, the government pledged that death rate due to cancer in those under 75 years of age will be reduced to by atleast 50 percent by 2010. It was then that the White paper for "Smoking Kills" was passed as a part of comprehensive tobacco control programme. The government also began to focus or energy and money for boosting up the