Supportive care has come to the forefront of political attention, a fact symbolised by last month’s release of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Supportive and Palliative Care Guidelines to improve care for adults with cancer. The full scope of this guidance for service delivery is intended to improve cancer patients’ experience of care – one of the central aims of The NHS Cancer Plan (Department of Health, 2000). A review of our own role in offering support, and our position in ensuring that the appropriate recommended supportive services are available, is, therefore, timely.