The cancer landscape is changing. More working-age people are being diagnosed, but survival rates are improving. The consequence is that more people in the workforce are living with the long-term effects of cancer treatment. A diagnosis touches every aspect of an employee’s life – physical, psychological and practical – and can affect absence, productivity, team stability and long-term workforce
resilience.
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Nearly 70% of our Group Critical Illness claims last year were for cancer¹ and, while financial protection provides essential security, treatment and recovery are complex and extend far beyond hospital appointments.
Recovery is frequently under-supported; fatigue, pain, anxiety, loss of confidence and work-related challenges can persist without structured rehabilitation or access to specialist care. Research shows that 1 in 3 people living with and beyond cancer continue to experience severe unmet needs².
We have introduced Specialist Cancer Care with Perci Health to support customers after a cancer diagnosis. It gives employees or an eligible loved one* access to dedicated cancer experts through a seamless digital service from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.
Dedicated Cancer Nurse Specialists
Employees get access to a dedicated Cancer Nurse Specialist (CNS) who provides support for up to 12 months. Support is delivered via video or telephone appointments, with secure messaging between sessions. The CNS explains the diagnosis, creates a personalised care plan, prepares employees for hospital appointments, helps manage side effects, offers emotional and practical support, and assists recovery and return to work, where appropriate.
Access to a team of specialist cancer clinicians
Employees can also access up to three additional sessions with a team of specialist clinicians. Where more complex needs arise, the CNS coordinates experts in oncology rehabilitation, such as physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists, menopause specialists and pain or neuropathy experts. These targeted interventions complement NHS or private treatment, help manage side effects and support rehabilitation and recovery.
Seamless digital experience
Cancer care is often fragmented and administratively heavy. The Perci Health platform is oncology-specific technology designed to enhance specialist care, reduce repetition and stop members having to retell their story. It connects employees and clinicians with a shared electronic health record and personalised step-by-step guidance through treatment and beyond. The CNS aligns clinicians to avoid mixed advice, whilst employees can access notes, care plans and trusted, tailored information in one place.
What this means for advisers
This service gives you a clear, practical way to enhance client conversations and benefit strategies by introducing structured, specialist cancer care alongside existing benefits. Positioned as part of a wider wellbeing and protection offering, it enables more informed discussions on absence management, return-to-work planning and sustainable workforce participation. All of which are potential new consulting opportunities for workplace advisers. Traditional healthcare excels at diagnosis and treatment but often cannot provide ongoing, wrap‑around support, leaving gaps across diagnosis, treatment and recovery. The National Cancer Plan promises earlier detection and personalised care plans, but delivery of services such as psychological support, physiotherapy and nutritional advice is constrained by pressures on the NHS. Specialist Cancer Care helps bridge these gaps, ensuring people not only receive a personalised care plan but also access to the specialist support needed to act on it.
For you, this means moving conversations beyond the pay out, demonstrating structured clinical care at claim, consulting on cancer support in the workplace, amongst a wider wellbeing agenda, and helping
employers address concerns about recovery, absence and workforce impact. For your
clients, it is a chance to act now – ahead of the ten-year Cancer Plan – by offering additional support so employees receive comprehensive, personalised care from day one and by shifting the focus beyond financial protection to practical support for the increasing numbers of working-age employees affected by cancer.
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