Following the success of the 2010 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, Quality Health will
be undertaking a repeat of the survey in 2012, on behalf of the Department of Health, covering
all acute and specialist NHS Trusts in England that provide adult acute cancer services.
The survey will cover approximately 110,000 NHS patients who have been seen for treatment in
hospital in the period September-November 2011 and who had a primary diagnosis of cancer. Send
out of the survey to patients will start late January and the fieldwork will end in April 2012.
Cancer chemotherapy has been provided in the NHS for decades but no national recording of
treatment has previously existed. Chemotherapy is increasingly successful as a treatment
but is ever more expensive and complex. Accurate, timely and complete data collection is
now seen as a priority and this is made feasible by the advent of electronic clinical data collection.
An approved dataset has now been developed for national use with data collection commencing in
April 2012. There will be key benefits to this national data collection:
Provide a resource for commissioners, providers of chemotherapy services and for patients and carers.
It will provide a clear picture of patterns of chemotherapy being given across England by hospital and geographical area.
Will show the immediate outcome of treatment and when linked to other data sources, can provide a complete picture of the management of cancer.
Data will be collected on patients receiving cancer chemotherapy in or funded by the NHS in England. It relates to
all cancer patients, both adult and paediatric, in acute inpatient, daycase, outpatient settings and delivery in the c
ommunity. It covers chemotherapy treatment for all solid tumour and haematological malignancies, including those in clinical trials.
Plans to tackle deficiencies in cancer intelligence are set out in a new framework published today .
The Cancer Intelligence Framework sets out the actions that are being taken to ensure that high
quality, timely intelligence is available to all those who need it to play their part in improving cancer outcomes.
It is intended to ensure clarity and accountability about who will do what,
and when, in improving cancer intelligence, improving the information that is available,
removing duplication and maximising efficiency.
Developments are needed in particular in order to improve intelligence on screening,
access to diagnostic tests from primary care, chemotherapy, date of recurrence and
cost effectiveness, as well as a major drive to modernise cancer registries.
The first annual report on the strategy for improving cancer outcomes highlights the
progress on implementation of the strategy and on improving cancer outcomes.
Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer annual report 2011, outlines the progress made this year in
developing new structures, which will deliver the improved outcomes, and more immediate achievements.
The report notes that there are still many challenges in terms of achieving the quality
of cancer services and outcomes that the strategy set out to deliver.
The National Lung Cancer Audit today shows the percentage of patients receiving key care measures, such
as surgery or anti-cancer treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy, is improving each year.
This means the gap between the UK and other countries in Western Europe, who have historically been rated as
having higher quality care, is narrowing; while in the UK itself the margin between the highest and lowest
performing providers has also reduced in a positive direction.
Lung cancer kills more people in the UK each year compared to any other form of cancer. The audit
contains data for almost 100 per cent of the estimated 38,057 UK cases first treated in 2010 that
presented to secondary care; a participation level thought to unprecedented for any other audit in the world.
Around 50% of patients who develop cancer undergo radiotherapy. The radiotherapy department at the St James Institute of
Oncology is one of the largest in the UK, offering state of the art radiotherapy techniques.
This short video explains more about the department, the staff and the procedure for radiotherapy,
as well as highlighting some of the more advanced radiotherapy facilities.
Improving picture of overall care for bowel cancer patients in England and Wales, says major audit
However the report notes that urgent and emergency surgery continues to carry a much greater risk of death compared to elective and scheduled procedures.
Achievement levels continue to rise against key care measures; such as the percentage of patients who survive
following elective and scheduled surgery and the percentage having less invasive forms of surgery.
The audit is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership on behalf of the
Department of Health and published by the NHS Information Centre on behalf of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.
Professor Paul Finan, clinical lead for the audit said: “Changes in surgical techniques, use of state
of the art imaging techniques, and the further reduction in 30-day post-operative mortality are to be
welcomed. However, late presentation as an acute case remains an issue and contributes significantly to
the overall mortality figure. These patients would benefit if consultants led their care from the moment they enter the hospital.
“Late presentation of cases is an area of bowel cancer care that requires urgent attention both in primary and secondary care.
There needs to be an increased awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer in the general population, along with implementation
of modern management protocols for those patients presenting acutely.”
Today's report is based on, for the first time, submissions from 100 per cent of trusts, and reports on the
management of over 28,000 cases of bowel cancer during the 12 month period ending July 2010. Case
ascertainment (the percentage of cases that are submitted to the audit for analysis) also continues to
improve, with an estimated 89 per cent and 97 per cent of cases from English and Welsh trusts respectively submitted.
NICE has set out recommendations for the treatment of colorectal cancer from diagnosis through to management, ongoing care and support.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the UK, and around 40,000 new cases are registered per year.
It is also the second most likely cause of cancer-related death in the UK and is closely linked to age, with nearly three-quarters of cases occurring in people aged 65 or over.
Colorectal cancer is, however, treatable but needs to be identified early on.
news item published here 12th November 2011
A public communication campaign to raise awareness signs and symptoms of bowel
cancer and encourage people to go to their GP if they experience symptoms will
run in specific areas across YCN during November. The campaign, supported by
Public Health Leads, GP Awareness and Early Diagnosis Leads and local hospitals aims to:
Get people with specified signs and symptoms that may be suggestive of bowel cancer to
go and see their GP. The materials tell people to go to their GP if they have
experienced one of the key symptoms of bowel cancer - blood in poo or loose
poo for 3 or more weeks
The campaign will target men and women over 50, those from more deprived
communities and black and minority ethnic communities.
The local initiative has been scheduled to run during September - December 2011
and there are two strands:
a time limited public awareness media campaign through local radio, to raise
awareness of bowel cancer signs and symptoms and
a programme of community based 'face to face' awareness activity that
runs throughout September- December.
Community champions have been recruited and trained to deliver a range of
community activities and events and talk to local residents, community
groups, friends, family and neighbors to help communicate the importance
of early diagnosis.
Over 90 Community Champions are now on board to deliver bowel cancer
information, advice and support to local residents. These Champions
have no clinical training but are trusted voices within the community
who can reach and reassure the target groups. They're involved in events
which include organised talks at places of worship, community centres,
over 50s clubs and other key community contact points. Leaflets, posters
and symptom cards will be delivered to key community venues and to the
homes of the over 50s in the target areas.
The Hub (the agency commissioned to deliver the programme) and PCTs have
worked with local GPs and Pharmacists in the target areas to alert them to
this campaign and to ensure they are aware and willing to support people
who present for advice and may require referral for further investigation.
We have updated clinicians and managers on the progress of this local bowel cancer
awareness campaign to ensure they are aware of the activity and are able to
receive and process any referrals. The target areas, identified by PCTs are:
The YCN with PCTs have commissioned an experienced agency 'The Hub' to deliver
this initiative on our behalf. The PCTs have agreed to target this initiative
in specific locations and populations, to test this approach and
evaluate its impact.
NHS cancer diagnosis times across the UK have come down significantly in recent years, official figures show.
Bowel cancer is now found, on average, 75 days after a patient first sees their GP
with symptoms, compared with 96 days at the start of the millennium.
For oesophageal cancer, the average time to diagnosis after a first GP visit was
59 days in 2001-02. This fell to 48 days in 2007-08.
Experts say the trend is encouraging but must continue.
Breast, stomach and lung cancers showed a slight drop, but not a significant one.
The figures come from England's General Practice Research Database
and cover more than 14,400 patients aged 40 or over who were diagnosed
with any of the six different cancers, including pancreatic cancer, and
who had previously shown potential cancer symptoms.
Ellen has championed the role of radiotherapy nursing as an essential component
of a quality cancer care pathway through raising awareness and 'getting it on the map'
in a number of ways.
She has developed innovative solutions to managing skin care which
support everyday living and improve comfort for patients, working with
companies to improve their range of what is on offer. Her interest in
dressings in this field has recently taken her to a conference in Belgium
where she was invited to present her work.
As a result she was also recently the recipient of a National wound care award.
With others she has been actively involved in the development of a skin care
pathway / toolkit which she promotes at every available opportunity as a means
of improving nursing care and patient experience. This work is being used in
other cancer centres nationally to support improved patient care.
Ellen recently recognised a need to address the requirements patients have for
privacy when they need tube-feeding in her department and expanded her nursing
service to address this issue.
She also further developed her service to include appropriately caring for
patients who are sick in the department whilst they await hospital admission.
This has improved their experience and minimised risks that are potentially
associated with delays.
Ellen has initiated, organised and been successful in the delivery of a
radiotherapy nursing conference, set to be repeated for the third time
this year. The conference has consistently evaluated well and provides
a forum for the sharing of expertise and knowledge.
She has also undertaken voluntary work at the Hope Institute in
Jamaica, spending time with health professionals to help them develop
oncology and palliative care services within the country. She has
maintained her links with the area and education of these professionals
will go on to play a major part in the improvement of care standards
in that part of the world.
Following a three month consultation period, the sarcoma measures were issued on Tuesday 9 August 2011
for inclusion within the Manual for Cancer Services.
The Manual for Cancer Services supports the National Cancer Peer Review team's quality
assurance programme for cancer services and enables quality improvement both in terms of c
linical and patient outcomes.
The annual report from the National Bowel Cancer Audit has been published today.
There continues to be an overall increase in submitted cases with over
23,000 cases recorded. This year case ascertainment has been calculated
using contemporaneous HES data and registrations from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence
and Surveillance Unit (WCISU)
Covering the period of 1st August 2008 to 31st July 2009, the report looks at the
care of patients with bowel cancer – and makes recommendations to
trusts based on its findings.
The sixth annual report from the National Head and Neck Cancer Audit – which
now contains more than 20,000 patient records and covers about 95 per cent
of all cases in England and Wales – has been published today.
Covering the period of November 2009 to October 2010, the report looks at the
care of patients with head and neck cancer – one of the less common cancers
which often requires very complex treatment - and makes recommendations to
trusts based on its findings.
The percentage of lung cancer patients who have a life-saving operation every year in
the UK has increased by over 50 per cent in five years, according to the most
comprehensive audit ever of the disease.
About one in seven patients – over 4,500 people every year – now has surgery compared to
about one in 11 five years ago, according to the National Lung Cancer Audit 2010.
Lung cancer, which kills more people in the UK each year compared to any other form of
cancer, is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, which means a substantial proportion -
up to three quarters - of patients are not suitable for surgery. However the improved
surgery rate suggests that more clinical teams have developed the expertise to assess p
atients of borderline fitness for surgery and have access to more complex surgical
techniques often required in such situations.
The increase mirrors other improvements in key care processes examined by the
audit, which this year contains data for almost 100 per cent of cases presenting
to secondary care of the estimated 37,600 lung cancer cases in the UK to have
been first treated in 2009.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancer in the UK, and its incidence
is rising. It is the fifth most common cancer in women.
The overall 5-year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer is below 35%. Most women present
with advanced disease, having had symptoms for months before presentation, and there are often
delays between presentation and specialist referral. There is a need for greater awareness of ovarian
cancer, and for initial investigations in primary and secondary care that enable earlier referral and
optimum treatment.
This guideline does not cover the entire care pathway for ovarian cancer. It focuses on areas where
there is uncertainty or wide variation in clinical practice with regard to the detection, diagnosis and
initial management of ovarian cancer. The guideline recommendations are applicable to women with
epithelial ovarian cancer (the most common type of ovarian cancer), as well as women with fallopian
tube carcinoma, primary peritoneal carcinoma or borderline ovarian cancer.
news item published here Wednesday 4th May 2011
Recruitment of Cancer Peer Review Reviewers for 2011/12
The Zonal Team is preparing for the 2011/12 visits to review children's services
and a sample of colorectal and head & neck cancer teams in the North Zone. We
are currently recruiting reviewers and would like to encourage more people to
come forward to participate to ensure the ethos of peer on peer quality assessment
can be maintained.
We are trying to recruit the following health care professionals:
CPD points are awarded for training and each subsequent review, which along with the
shared learning that occurs, provides a very valuable experience for reviewers
and ultimately benefits organisations.
If you are interested please could you complete the application form link below.
This Booklet and accompanying relaxation CD will be available to cancer patients/carers and family members through
Clinical Nurse Specialists, Psychologists and at Cancer Information Centres across the Yorkshire Cancer Network.
There is also this web version
available for anyone to access and download.
news item published here Monday 4th April 2011
Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: April 2011
Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are:
Emergency - no wait
Urgent - 14 days
Routine - 31 days
Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer.
Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries.
The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care are working with
the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and the
NCIN Site Specific Clinical Reference Groups to develop a
new Cancer Outcomes and Services Data Set (COSD).
This will replace the current National Cancer Data Set and
will include both the Cancer Registration Data set and additional
site specific data items relevant to the different tumour types.
The new data set will support the core business needs of the
NHS to provide information on both cancer incidence, mortality
and survival, and also service and outcomes. It completed
preliminary definitional testing during late February 2011.
It will be aligned with the other mandated national cancer data sets:
Cancer Waits
Radiotherapy
Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (currently being developed)
The COSD consultation will run from 28 February to 31 March 2011.
If you have any queries regarding the data set or the consultation process,
please contact us at enquiries@ic.nhs.uk or 0845 300 6016.
CRUK have launched a new site aimed at improving early detection of cancer.
The campaign is based on research they've carried out, showing that people
often need a little encouragement that it’s worth going to the doctor
to get checked out, and that they’re often confused about possible s
ymptoms of cancer. This research has also highlighted that a gentle
nudge from a loved one – a son, a daughter, a friend, a partner –
can make a big difference in whether a person decides to see a GP
about a potential problem.
news item published here Wednesday 16th February 2011
This national report provides insights into the care experienced by cancer patients across England who were treated as day cases or inpatients
during the first three months of 2010.
158 NHS Trusts providing cancer services identified patients and 67,713 patients chose to
respond. The 2010 survey builds on a previous survey undertaken in 2000 involving over 65,000 cancer patients and a
smaller survey undertaken in 2004 involving 4,300 patients. Importantly the 2010 survey is the first to involve patients
with all types of cancer.
It is also the first national survey in this country in which the word cancer has been explicitly used.
news item published here Friday 10th December 2010
Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: November 2010
Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are:
Emergency - no wait
Urgent - 14 days
Routine - 29 days
Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer.
Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries.
news item published here Tuesday 2nd November 2010
The Secretary of State for Health has announced additional in-year funding for the NHS to
support improved access to Cancer Drugs from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011. This funding
is allocated at regional level, through Strategic Health Authorities and NHS Yorkshire and the
Humber has been given £5.3M by the Government to set up the regional fund for Yorkshire and the Humber.
A new campaign that will alert people to the early signs of cancer and encourage them to
get checked out will be launched in January next year, Care Services Minister Paul Burstow announced today.
The campaign will consist of 59 local campaigns focussing on the three big killers - breast,
bowel and lung cancer. Local areas have been given a share of £9 million for their campaigns.
At the same time as running these local projects, the Department of Health will
be trialling, in two regions, centrally-led campaign activity to raise awareness
of bowel cancer symptoms and to encourage early presentation. Subject to evaluation,
the campaign will be introduced nationally.
news item published here Thursday 26th August 2010
