Charity-funded cancer psychological support service praised by patients and carers

“I think it actually unlocked the real me. That’s what it actually did. I’m now looking at things in a different way, I can deal with my thoughts and generally see the positive side of things, rather than the negative.”

This is how cancer patient Sharon describes her experience of the Cancer Psychological Support (CaPS) Service which is delivered by Hywel Dda University Health Board to cancer patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The CaPS service was developed thanks to generous donations to Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of the health board. The charity funded a two-year pilot CaPS project in 2019-21, with further funding provided for Phase 2 of the initiative, which ran from 2022-25. As of April 2025, the service was embedded into core cancer services and is funded by the health board.

“I was able to explore all sorts of things with Helen (the therapist),” explained Sharon. “I hope I don’t have to see Helen again, but I know the option is there if I need it. I’ve made some decisions as a result of having the counselling. It helped to talk to someone I didn’t know.”

Above: Carer Maureen who has benefitted from the CaPS service

Maureen, a carer for a cancer patient, added: “I can’t even tell you what part of it helped. I just know when I left, I felt a bit of a lift. For that hour it was just us two talking.

“In a way I looked forward to the sessions because I knew I was going to get things off my chest as well. When things got more difficult for me, I talked to Ann (the therapist) about it, and I felt safe telling her. She just listened.”

Above: Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse at Hywel Dda University Health Board

The CaPS project delivers psychological support to people affected by cancer aged 16+ within the health board population. Specialist Cancer Counsellors are employed across the three counties of Hywel Dda, and they receive a current average of 23 referrals per month.

“There are no waiting lists at all,” explained Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse at the health board. “Referrals are received, assessed and contacted within two weeks, which means that cancer patients in the area get the psychological support they need very quickly.

“The service offers a range of virtual or face-to-face options, so it can adapt to patients’ communication needs. And the service also extends to cancer patients’ carers and the parents of children with cancer.”

Each patient or carer is allocated a counsellor who will deliver up to 12 counselling sessions, depending on need. This results in over 3,000 counselling sessions being delivered every year.

The CaPS team also provides education and training programmes for the cancer workforce to equip them with skills in psychological support in their daily interventions with patients - for example, when breaking bad news and managing difficult conversations.

In addition, the team also provides invaluable psychological support to staff.

Pandora, an Upper Gastrointestinal Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: “It has provided a safe, supportive space to reflect on my practice, explore challenges, and gain valuable insight.

“The process has enhanced my confidence, improved my clinical reasoning, and helped me maintain emotional resilience in a demanding role. I’ve found it to be an essential part of my professional development and overall well-being as a practitioner."

Through the CaPS Service, Hywel Dda University Health Board has led the way in Wales in providing psychological support for cancer patients, and it is the first health board in Wales to provide Level 3 psychological support for people affected by cancer as part of core services with mainstream NHS funding from April 2025.

“This would not have happened if the project had not received charitable funds which enabled cancer services to identify the needs of patients and the impact of providing a service that met those needs,” said Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities.

“Thanks to the generosity of local communities, we are able to fund projects like this which are above and beyond core NHS expenditure, and which make such a big difference to the experiences of patients, carers and staff.

“Never has the charity been more important in helping deliver the very best care and experiences for patients and staff. We are so grateful for every donation we receive.”