New clinics to speed up cancer diagnosis
THREE clinics offering rapid diagnoses of cancer are planned in North Wales.
Betsi Cadwaladr, the region’s health board, said the Rapid Diagnosis Clinics (RDCs) will open at three acute hospital sites in early 2022.
They will investigate patients whose diagnoses can be challenging because their symptoms are “vague”.
Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a major factor in saving lives, but diagnostic services have been under huge pressure during the pandemic.
Concerns over NHS waiting lists were flagged up in a Senedd plenary meeting this week by Aberconwy MS Janet FinchSaunders. In July, she said, there was an eleven-fold increase in the number of people waiting more than eight weeks for one of seven key tests used to diagnose cancer.
Ms Finch-Saunders added: “Startlingly, one third of patients in the Betsi Cadwaladr region do not start their first definitive treatment within 62 days of first being suspected of cancer.”
RDCs are one attempt to improve the situation and they are already being trialed in South Wales. They aim to see patients within a week of GP referral and provide a likely diagnosis, a plan for further assessment, or reassurance if the results are normal.
Adrian Thomas, Betsi Cadwaladr’s executive director of therapies and health sciences, said the North Wales RDCs will follow similar principles.
He said: “The clinics will be for GPs to refer patients to, if they have vague and concerning symptoms that may be due to cancer, but don’t fit the classic urgent suspected cancer referral symptoms.
“Rapid Diagnostic Clinics were piloted in South Wales with excellent results in terms of reducing the time for the diagnosis of cancer or other conditions.
“We are looking forward to opening the clinics in North Wales to help diagnose patients with vague symptoms and start a treatment plan as quickly as possible, or give patients the reassurance that their symptoms are not due to cancer.”
Betsi Cadwaladr will issue more details about its planned RDCs later this year.