About The Health Nav
Exercise and nutrition, part of every cancer patient's care
Research already shows that exercise helps people recover from cancer. We're working to make sure every patient in the UK is offered it, from diagnosis through recovery.
Our vision
A future where exercise and nutrition are part of every cancer patient's treatment and recovery, as standard.
The research already shows that exercise helps people recover from cancer. Yet it is still rarely part of care. The healthcare professionals treating patients don't have the time to refer, aren't incentivised to, or don't know the benefits that exercise brings. We exist to close those gaps.
We're working towards a UK where:
- Every cancer patient is offered exercise and nutrition supportfrom diagnosis, through treatment and into recovery.
- Every healthcare professional knows the benefitsof exercise and nutrition for their cancer patients.
- Referring is quick and routineso doctors and practitioners can refer without it adding to their workload.
- The evidence is clearshowing what exercise and nutrition do for treatment and recovery, and how much they reduce the cost of cancer care for individuals, insurers and the NHS.
- Exercise and nutrition are built into standard cancer carenot left as an optional extra.
Why it isn't happening yet
The evidence is there. The routes into care aren't.
Three things stand between cancer patients and the exercise and nutrition support that could help them.
No time to refer
Doctors and nurses are stretched. Arranging a referral to an exercise or nutrition professional is one more task on a full list.
No reason to refer
There is rarely a funded route to refer into, and nothing in the system rewards the referral.
Benefits not known
Many healthcare professionals don't know the benefits exercise brings to people going through cancer treatment.
Only around one in five patients is referred to an exercise specialist, even though most healthcare professionals say they talk to patients about being active.Average referral rate of 18.3% across pooled surveys. Systematic review, Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 2020.
How we're getting there
What we've built, and what comes next
- Built
An easy way to refer
Practitioners and doctors can already refer patients to leading exercise and nutrition professionals with ease.
- Under way
Building the evidence
We're working with universities across the UK, running our own research and taking part in other studies. We're measuring the impact on treatment and recovery, and on the cost of cancer care for individuals, insurers and the NHS.
- Next
Making it standard
We'll use what the research shows to get exercise and nutrition built into how cancer is treated across the UK.
Who we work with
Closing the gap takes everyone
Doctors and practitioners
Refer a patient in minutes. We take care of the rest, so it doesn't add to your workload.
Refer a patientPeople affected by cancer
Get support with exercise and nutrition before, during and after treatment.
Get supportExercise and nutrition professionals
Work with patients referred to you by their healthcare team.
Join The Health NavUniversities and research partners
Help build the evidence that makes exercise and nutrition part of cancer care.
Work with us
Who we are
A growing team of health professionals
We're a growing team of health professionals and clinical exercise physiologists, brought together by one aim: to make exercise and nutrition part of every cancer patient's care.
The Health Nav was founded by Ben Duckett and Reilly Smith, both AHCS-registered clinical exercise physiologists.
What guides us
Our values
Evidence first
We say what the research shows and no more, and we help build the research where it's missing.
Patients at the centre
Every decision starts with what helps someone through treatment and recovery.
Easy for clinicians
If referring takes effort, it won't happen. We make it simple.
Trust and integrity
Every professional is verified by our team, and we're open about how we work.
Help make exercise and nutrition part of cancer care
Whether you treat people with cancer, live with it, or research it, there's a place for you in this work.