The National Health Service (NHS) England has announced plans for 10 rapid diagnostic and assessment cancer centers.
The pilot scheme will allow general practitioners and other health professionals to refer patients who do not have “red flag” symptoms for tests by multidisciplinary teams under one roof — described as “one stop shops” — rather than having to visit different centers for various tests, according to an NHS news release.
Such symptoms are described as being vague and nonspecific, and may include unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, or abdominal pain.
The concept came from Denmark, and the NHS initiative was devised in conjunction with cancer charities under the Accelerate, Co-ordinate and Evaluate (ACE 2) Early Diagnosis Program. It is designed to help speed up diagnosis and begin treatment as early as possible to improve outcomes. Anyone found to have benign conditions will be given appropriate cancer-prevention lifestyle advice.
NHS England says this could mean some patients get an all-clear or definitive diagnosis on the same day. Others may still require additional assessments with the aim of giving a diagnosis within 2 weeks of the initial appointment.
The new centers will be based at:
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North Middlesex University Hospital, London
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University College London Hospital, London
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Southend University Hospital, Essex
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Queens Hospital, Romford, Essex
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Royal Free Hospital, London
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St James University Hospital, Leeds
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Airedale General Hospital, West Yorkshire
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University Hospital, South Manchester
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Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester
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Churchill Hospital, Oxford
An “Innovative Initiative”
The exact way services are provided will vary, depending on local needs. If successful, further centers will be opened across England to help meet the goal of giving a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days.
Commenting on the plans in the news release, Cally Palmer, NHS England’s national director for cancer, says: “Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives and providing peace of mind for patients, which is why we are driving forward plans to revolutionise our approach to cancer in this country. These new one stop shops represent a real step change in the way people with unclear symptoms are identified, diagnosed and treated.”
Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s director of early diagnosis, said in the release: “We’re confident that these ten pilot centres will give us a much better understanding of what’s needed to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of people with less obvious symptoms, improve their experience of care and, ultimately, survival. This is a first for this country and Cancer Research UK is delighted to be partnering with NHS England in this innovative initiative. The knowledge gained will support others looking to roll out similar approaches in future.”
Dr Rosie Loftus, joint chief medical officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, also said in the release: “If cancer is diagnosed at an earlier stage it can significantly improve someone’s chances of survival in the long-term. This initiative is an important step in improving early diagnosis in England and Macmillan Cancer Support is proud to have partnered with NHS England in its development.”
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