Executive Summary
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 July 2018 through the merger of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust. Within this Trust are located the Ipswich and Colchester Cancer Wellbeing and Information Centres that commissioned the current evaluation study.
This is an evaluation of a pilot project organised to test a model of prehabilitation and rehabilitation for patients, initially with a diagnosis of bowel cancer; the work was later broadened to include all cancer sites.
The project involved working collaboratively with the East Suffolk and North Essex cancer commissioning group (CCG) and the integrated care system (ICS), with the intention that the pilot informs and influences the scoping and commissioning of a model which is funded and available to all cancer sites and becomes part of the cancer patient pathway.

Key Findings
Data analysis based on the reported scores of the service under analysis suggests that participants taking part in the prehabilitation/rehabilitation program reduced their depression (non-significant result) and anxiety scores, enhanced their ability to perform daily tasks, increased the strength of their lower legs, and improved eating behaviour scores. All these improvements are in line with the positive effects of prehabilitation/rehabilitation services nationally and internationally, supporting the feasibility and potential of the service provided by ESNEFT in East Suffolk and North Essex (UK).

Actionable Recommendations
Based on the results of this evaluation report the effectiveness of the prehabilitation and rehabilitation pilot programme of cancer patients can be characterised as effective. Expanding the provision of related services for oncological patients can reduce health care costs, improve therapy responses, and support wellbeing in patients in need.

Report Impact
- The report provided clues on the positive impact the ESNEFT pilot program of prehabilitation/rehabilitation is having on its participants. This result is in line with evaluations of similar programs aimed towards the enhancement of functional ability, recovery and wellbeing of oncological patients.
- Additional resources and support seem to be needed during the first 2 to 3 months after the prehabilitation initiation, or else during the period of the oncological treatment (aka restorative rehabilitation). It is the period where most of the evaluated scores of participants showed deterioration.
- More emphasis is needed on patient recruitment and retention, making sure this pilot intervention program is accessible to more (if not all) oncological patients undergoing treatment.