Nightingale hospitals set to become cancer test centres

NIGhtINGaLe hospitals are being converted into cancer test centres to deal with a major backlog in suspected cases.

Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NhS england, says a ‘radically different model’ is needed to catch up with checks and screenings delayed by the pandemic.

In another policy shift, an appointment system to attend a&e is being trialled in parts of London and Portsmouth, health officials confirmed yesterday.

Sir Simon told MPs on the health and social care select committee the NhS planned to adopt a ‘Nightingale-type approach for new diagnostic facilities’.

the Nightingale units set up in harrogate and exeter to cope with Covid-19 patients would become dedicated test facilities and other NhS sites would also be turned into cancer test centres.

Cancer charities say 2.1million patients are awaiting crucial screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancer. another 290,000 have missed out on urgent referrals to confirm or rule out tumours. Sir Simon said four-fifths of patients on waiting lists were waiting for a test or an appointment, rather than surgery.

‘there has been a big reduction in the flow of patients,’ he added. ‘We’ve got to do something different. We’ve got to expand diagnostic capacity. We’ve also got to do it in new ways. this will be very relevant for cancer care, particularly bowel cancer. We are looking for a radically different model of doing endoscopy investigations.’ Sir Simon said the exeter Nightingale would be first to convert and it would be open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm, starting next Monday. harrogate would offer Ct scans for suspected cancer and monitor diagnosed cases.

Sara Bainbridge of Macmillan Cancer Support said it was ‘promising’ to see the NhS ‘recognising the scale of the challenge to make sure cancer isn’t the forgotten ‘C’ in this pandemic’. She added: ‘It’s vital the Government supports the NhS so they can set out a national plan that shows how they will fully catch up on the cancer backlog across the country.’

health bosses told the select committee yesterday that trials were underway to stop a&es being overwhelmed.

Patients are being told to use services such as NhS 111 before attending if possible. they are triaged by medical staff, who can refer them to a&e if necessary or send them straight to specialists.

those needing immediate help, such as heart attack and stroke patients, can still turn up in person or by ambulance.

NhS england medical director Stephen Powis said the system was likely to be rolled out nationally if it was successful.

he added: ‘We want to move, as we did want to move before Covid, increasingly to a 111first model, which ensures that we do everything we can to give appropriate advice to signpost people to the most appropriate place.’

‘We’ve got to do something different’