Patients as teachers: the patient's role in improving cancer services.

The NHS Plan stipulates that health care in the 21st century should reflect the needs and expectations of local people, offer greater choice and involve patients in the planning and provision of services. This paper describes an initiative to involve users of cancer services in educating health-care professionals because patients are the experts on their condition.

Using an interactive chemotherapy training package to improve patient safety.

All health-care professionals involved in the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy, if they are to avoid serious harm to patients, can benefit from an interactive training package in the safe use of these drugs. This article discusses a pilot study of a training CD-ROM which was undertaken in a cancer unit.