Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) and Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP)

The Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) is a paper or electronic document completed by patients and their key worker/clinical nurse specialist to help them both think about any needs or concerns they have.

Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA)

To develop a care plan, you will need to carry out an assessment of the person’s holistic needs to understand how to support them. There are various tools to assist with this.

It is a checklist or set of questions about your physical, emotional, practical, financial and spiritual needs following a cancer diagnosis. It gives professionals a greater understanding of your patients needs and helps identify and address specific problems. Once discussed the answers form a care plan that outlines what was agreed and any contact details for organisations or services that could help. This can be shared with other health professionals including primary care.

You can offer an HNA at diagnosis, during treatment or after treatment has ended but you can undertake an assessment at any time if you feel it would help. It only takes about 30 minutes to complete and can help plan ahead – from diagnosis through to treatment and life after treatment.

Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP)

A PCSP ensures people’s physical, practical, emotional and social needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.

A Personalised Care and Support Plan will help you to:

  • keep a record of conversations, decisions and agreed outcomes
  • understand a patient’s care and support needs, their life and family situation
  • know what is required to make the plan achievable and effective.