Working on the Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer are, from left: Rhiannon Tinson, Emily Sidebottom and Dr Sarah Hauxwell
As people across the globe are marking World Cancer Day – today, February 4 – University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is welcoming a new system for faster cancer diagnosis.
The ‘Faster Diagnosis Standard’ will ensure that all but a few patients who are referred for the investigation of suspected cancer will find out, within 28 days, if they do or don’t have cancer.
This new standard will be introduced in April 2020 to help reduce anxiety for patients who will be diagnosed with cancer or receive an ‘all clear’ but may not currently hear this information in a timely manner.
The standard will speed up time from referral to diagnosis, particularly where faster diagnosis is proven to improve clinical outcomes. It will also reduce unwarranted variation in England by understanding how long it is taking patients to receive a diagnosis or ‘all clear’ for cancer.
Dr Sarah Hauxwell, Medical Lead for Cancer and Histopathologist for UHMBT, described the Faster Diagnosis Standard as “a game changer” for patients and staff.
Sarah said: “Speaking as a clinician and from personal experience as someone who has had friends and family affected by cancer, waiting for results can be one of the worst parts of receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“When you are waiting, you are in limbo. If you find out you have cancer, at least then you can start to make a plan. The Faster Diagnosis Standard will improve patient experience and help with the flow of information out to our patients.”
Rhiannon Tinson, Head of Performance and Cancer Lead at UHMBT, is also pleased that patients will have a better experience thanks to the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Rhiannon said: “We are really excited about this. It feels like a step-change for people coming into our hospitals.
“It’s easy to say to people that it’s probably benign, but for people waiting for cancer test results, it can cause huge anxiety. People’s lives are often on hold until they get their diagnosis.”
In November 2019 86 per cent of patients at UHMBT were given their diagnosis within the two-week ’28 day’ timescale due to the work already completed and the national minimum threshold for the Faster Diagnosis Standard is 70 per cent.
When people receive their diagnosis the team at UHMBT is planning to give them a card making it clear what their diagnosis is, so there is no confusion.
Rhiannon said: “We have done some work recently to improve the experience of patients who are on our ‘Colorectal Pathway’. In the past patients would come for an outpatient appointment, be told they needed a test, then be brought back another day for the test. Now if clinically appropriate, the patient has the test first and if tests show that everything is clear they now get their results right away and if there is something of concern, they are brought back to see a surgeon. This has reduced the waiting time and anxiety for patients.
“The vast majority of people – over 90 per cent – could be reassured on the day that everything was clear.
“We have several hundred patients on our books so if we can tell a large majority of them that they are clear of cancer, we can then concentrate on those people who do have cancer and speed up the pathway for them.”
The team at UHMBT is also keen to hear patients’ views on how their experience can be improved further.
Sarah explained: “We want to work with patients and service users to improve their experience of care. If something is not working for people, or if they have any ideas on how things can be improved, we would like to hear from them.”
Cancer survival rates in England are higher than they have ever been and earlier diagnosis is a key part of improving survival rates further.
The NHS Long Term Plan continues to expand upon work to transform cancer care so that from 2028, an extra 55,000 people each year will survive for five years or more following their cancer diagnosis and three in four cancers (75 per cent) will be diagnosed at an early stage.
Rhiannon added: “It’s very important that patients work with us and take up the offer of their first appointment. If you are invited to come in for a biopsy, for example, and turn down the appointment, it will take more time for you to be seen.”
Sarah added: “We would urge people to prioritise their own health because we know that early diagnosis of cancer in terms of how big it is and how far it has spread is hugely important.
“For us to effectively treat patients, we need people to see their GP as soon as they start to get symptoms and take up screening invitations. That gives you the best chance of diagnosing cancer and treating it effectively.”
Anyone who has any suggestions regarding improvements to cancer services at UHMBT can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS) and they will pass the information on to Sarah and the rest of the team. PALS can be contacted by email at PALS@mbht.nhs.uk and by phone on 01539 715 577.
Information on World Cancer Day Can be found at: https://www.uicc.org/events/world-cancer-day-2020
ENDS
Photo caption:
From left: Rhiannon Tinson, Head of Performance and Cancer Lead, Emily Sidebottom, Cancer Service Improvement Facilitator and Sarah Hauxwell, Clinical Lead for Cancer at UHMBT
Working on the Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer are, from left: Rhiannon Tinson, Emily Sidebottom and Dr Sarah Hauxwell
As people across the globe are marking World Cancer Day – today, February 4 – University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is welcoming a new system for faster cancer diagnosis.
The ‘Faster Diagnosis Standard’ will ensure that all but a few patients who are referred for the investigation of suspected cancer will find out, within 28 days, if they do or don’t have cancer.
This new standard will be introduced in April 2020 to help reduce anxiety for patients who will be diagnosed with cancer or receive an ‘all clear’ but may not currently hear this information in a timely manner.
The standard will speed up time from referral to diagnosis, particularly where faster diagnosis is proven to improve clinical outcomes. It will also reduce unwarranted variation in England by understanding how long it is taking patients to receive a diagnosis or ‘all clear’ for cancer.
Dr Sarah Hauxwell, Medical Lead for Cancer and Histopathologist for UHMBT, described the Faster Diagnosis Standard as “a game changer” for patients and staff.
Sarah said: “Speaking as a clinician and from personal experience as someone who has had friends and family affected by cancer, waiting for results can be one of the worst parts of receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“When you are waiting, you are in limbo. If you find out you have cancer, at least then you can start to make a plan. The Faster Diagnosis Standard will improve patient experience and help with the flow of information out to our patients.”
Rhiannon Tinson, Head of Performance and Cancer Lead at UHMBT, is also pleased that patients will have a better experience thanks to the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Rhiannon said: “We are really excited about this. It feels like a step-change for people coming into our hospitals.
“It’s easy to say to people that it’s probably benign, but for people waiting for cancer test results, it can cause huge anxiety. People’s lives are often on hold until they get their diagnosis.”
In November 2019 86 per cent of patients at UHMBT were given their diagnosis within the two-week ’28 day’ timescale due to the work already completed and the national minimum threshold for the Faster Diagnosis Standard is 70 per cent.
When people receive their diagnosis the team at UHMBT is planning to give them a card making it clear what their diagnosis is, so there is no confusion.
Rhiannon said: “We have done some work recently to improve the experience of patients who are on our ‘Colorectal Pathway’. In the past patients would come for an outpatient appointment, be told they needed a test, then be brought back another day for the test. Now if clinically appropriate, the patient has the test first and if tests show that everything is clear they now get their results right away and if there is something of concern, they are brought back to see a surgeon. This has reduced the waiting time and anxiety for patients.
“The vast majority of people – over 90 per cent – could be reassured on the day that everything was clear.
“We have several hundred patients on our books so if we can tell a large majority of them that they are clear of cancer, we can then concentrate on those people who do have cancer and speed up the pathway for them.”
The team at UHMBT is also keen to hear patients’ views on how their experience can be improved further.
Sarah explained: “We want to work with patients and service users to improve their experience of care. If something is not working for people, or if they have any ideas on how things can be improved, we would like to hear from them.”
Cancer survival rates in England are higher than they have ever been and earlier diagnosis is a key part of improving survival rates further.
The NHS Long Term Plan continues to expand upon work to transform cancer care so that from 2028, an extra 55,000 people each year will survive for five years or more following their cancer diagnosis and three in four cancers (75 per cent) will be diagnosed at an early stage.
Rhiannon added: “It’s very important that patients work with us and take up the offer of their first appointment. If you are invited to come in for a biopsy, for example, and turn down the appointment, it will take more time for you to be seen.”
Sarah added: “We would urge people to prioritise their own health because we know that early diagnosis of cancer in terms of how big it is and how far it has spread is hugely important.
“For us to effectively treat patients, we need people to see their GP as soon as they start to get symptoms and take up screening invitations. That gives you the best chance of diagnosing cancer and treating it effectively.”
Anyone who has any suggestions regarding improvements to cancer services at UHMBT can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS) and they will pass the information on to Sarah and the rest of the team. PALS can be contacted by email at PALS@mbht.nhs.uk and by phone on 01539 715 577.
Information on World Cancer Day Can be found at: https://www.uicc.org/events/world-cancer-day-2020
ENDS
Photo caption:
From left: Rhiannon Tinson, Head of Performance and Cancer Lead, Emily Sidebottom, Cancer Service Improvement Facilitator and Sarah Hauxwell, Clinical Lead for Cancer at UHMBT