Finishing cancer treatment is an important milestone — but ongoing care and support remain essential. Our Cancer Aftercare Service is here to help you manage your health, wellbeing, and any long-term or late effects of treatment. We provide personalised follow-up care, practical support, and a point of contact if you have concerns about your recovery.
These are some of the questions we are asked frequently:
From 6 months off treatment with an unwell child or young person please call your GP or NHS 111 for advice, in the first instance.
In an Emergency call (police, ambulance, fire, coastguard): Phone 999.
Remember you can use your End of Treatment summary to check what to need to look out for.
While we can offer advice if you think your child's concern is related to their previous treatment, we are not a responsive service and recommend using the GP in the first instance.
This will depend on your diagnosis and your follow up plan. This will be detailed in your End of Treatment Summary. You’ll usually have regular check-ups with a specialist team.
These visits often include:
What investigations should I expect:
Appointments might be every few months at first, then become less frequent over time.
Most people find aftercare clinics:
Unlike active treatment, the focus shifts to helping you live well after cancer. This can include:
Who you might see
Aftercare clinics are often run by a mix of professionals, such as:
This will depend on your diagnosis and the treatment you had. Where available, we follow the recommended national guidance for cancer follow up.
We work in partnership with you and your family on an individual basis to make sure your needs are supported.
For some patients it is possible that eventually you will no longer need to attend regular hospital follow up but instead manage your own health needs with the support of your GP. This will be discussed on an individual basis.
Some may need transitioned into adult services. This looks different depending on your diagnosis. This will be planned and discussed in partnership with you in clinic.
This all depends on what treatment you received which can be found on your End of Treatment Summary.
CCLG - The Children & Young People's Cancer Association: information about late effects
Contact your named nurse or Bernadine or Rachel to discuss.
Please contact the Aftercare Team directly and we will arrange a meeting to discuss this with you to tailor support to your needs.
If you are interested in any of our Aftercare events or opportunities please follow us on Instagram nhslothian_moving _forward or contact Helen Veitch Aftercare Wellbeing Practitioner to find out more.
Children and Young People's Cancer Aftercare