Pilot hopes to improve survival rate
EXPERTS who treat cancer are hoping that a new initiative set to be trialled with 40 GPs in the Cynon Valley will rapidly reduce the time it takes to diagnose the illness.
The Cynon Valley will run a new pilot scheme centring on patients whose GPs think they may have cancer – even if they do not have severe symptoms.
Cwm Taf University Health Board serves one of the most deprived populations in Wales, and it has one of the highest cancer mortality rates of all health boards in the country.
Patients who show obvious symptoms are currently placed on an Urgent Suspected Cancer Pathway, which is said to “define the route to diagnosis and treatment”.
But only 35% of patients with cancer currently present their GP with “red flag” or alarm symptoms.
News of the scheme comes 12 months after medics visited Denmark to view its diagnostics system.
One of the key schemes introduced in Denmark involves a system where patients, who do not show clear symptoms of a specific cancer, are offered diagnostic tests within a few days.
Patients can be tested at what’s known as “one stop shop” diagnostic centres.
Officials at Cwm Taf health board formed part of a group of experts who realised how the Danish health service used this scheme to increase its cancer survival rates.
John Palmer, director of primary, community and mental health at Cwm Taf University Health Board, said: “Too many people present late or wait too long in the system as a result of vague symptoms that could be cancer.
“We want to speed up that process to ensure more cancers are caught early and more people have the confidence and support to come forward at an early stage.
“When we visited Denmark we knew this diagnosis model had huge potential and could make a big impact in the Welsh NHS.”
As a part of the scheme, 40 GPs in the Cynon Valley will be able to refer patients, presentnig with vague symptoms, to a designated diagnostic clinic at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant – subject to them being aged 18 or over.
At the hospital, patients will then be given blood tests and a chest X-ray on referral, and they will receive appointments within seven days.
During the appointments, patients will receive a clinical examination, further diagnostic interventions, if required, and a consultation with a physician or GP.
Mr Palmer added: “Our clinicians in Cwm Taf had already adopted many of the principles of the Danish model including a ‘one-stop’ neck lump diagnostic process, direct access to radiology investigation for breast lesions and a one-stop clinic for prostate cancer, to speed up referrals and diagnosis.
“But after visiting Denmark we wanted to go further and that’s what we have done over the last 12 months working with our radiologists, GPs and physicians, and I am very excited about the potential that this pilot brings.”