Patient Journey Review – Half Way Through

At Exeter Leukaemia Fund, we are proud of the services we provide to patients and families. We have been offering most of our current services for over ten years and have helped thousands of patients during that time.  

We know there are haematology patients in Devon who we aren’t reaching. What we aren’t sure of, is why we aren’t reaching them. Do they not know about us? Are the services we provide not right for them? Are they unsure of how to access our services?  

This summer, we have decided to find out the answers to these questions. 

Earlier this year, ELF applied to work with the University of Exeter MBA programme to help us support more patients. Each MBA student completes a project at the end of their course, tackling a real-world challenge within an organisation. ELF was fortunate to be chosen by MBA student Lara Mikeljevic, and we have been working with her since June to understand more about the haematology patient journey, and whether ELF’s services are meeting their needs. 

To join the Exeter MBA programme, each student needs to have at least five years of professional experience. Lara is no novice when it comes to supporting businesses and organisations tackle big challenges. Employed by IBM in London, Lara has previously worked with the NHS on major projects and is exactly the right person to support ELF. 

Lara’s work leading the review has included surveys, interviews with NHS staff, patients and family members, as well as focus groups. We are grateful for all the input we’ve received over the course of this project. If you’ve responded to a survey, taken part in a focus group or interview or shared your story – thank you.  

Now that Lara has gathered the information she needs, she’ll begin reviewing, analysing and finally, writing up a report to help us decide what happens next. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Lara and look forward to improving our services for patients.