Needs of carers for people with cancer: exploring the support services available and barriers to engagement

Cancer can have multidimensional effects on patients and their informal carers. This article details a service improvement project and evaluation that aimed to examine the needs of carers of people with cancer, and to explore the local support services available and barriers to engagement. It involved consultation with local organisations and a questionnaire to scope local carers and include their perspectives on their support needs. Following this work, a monthly carers’ support group was established in March 2025, known as ‘You Matter Too’ (UM2). After one year, the UM2 group was evaluated using attendee questionnaires. It was identified that the UM2 carers’ support group offered a welcoming environment, emotional support, social connection, peer support, and valuable information about services and sharing experience. This resulted in attendees feeling less isolated and more confident in their caring roles, while improving their coping strategies, access to services and personal well-being. However, due to the small number of respondents, these findings may not be generalisable to other populations and areas, so further work is necessary in this field, particularly around barriers to participation.