Patient navigation as a legal entitlement from the day of diagnosis
Every person told they have cancer gets a named navigator, by law, who helps them understand options, book appointments, find trials and deal with money and work.
Navigation programmes (Harold Freeman model, Harlem) cut time-to-treatment and improve completion of therapy, and US Medicare began paying for Principal Illness Navigation in 2024. The proposal is to make navigation a statutory entitlement in every health system, funded per diagnosis, with a minimum service specification (first contact within 72 hours, written summary after each key consultation, a trial-eligibility check at each decision point) and public reporting of coverage.
- Patients lack understanding, navigation and agency · Most patients cannot understand their options, find trials, or push back, so decisions are made for them.
- Fragmented care and guideline gaps · Patients fall between specialists, wait for referrals and often do not get the treatment guidelines say they should.
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