New lifesaving early cancer centre opens
GPs can urgently refer patients to the facility
A lifesaving early cancer diagnostic centre has opened in Ayr.
Its aim is to speed up disease diagnosis and provide GPs with an alternative route to urgently refer patients.
The facility, being delivered through the national centre for sustainable delivery, will provide GPs with a vital route to urgently refer patients who have non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss, fatigue, pain and nausea, or where the doctor’s instinct is that cancer may be involved.
The centre, based at Ayr Hospital, will play a key role in delivering earlier diagnosis and improved care, with fasttrack diagnostic testing at one appointment, where possible.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran aim to diagnose or rule out cancer within 21 days of diagnosis.
Ayr’s MSP Siobhian Brown welcomed the new initiative and said: “It is extremely important that any person that has any concerns in relation to their health gets in touch with their doctor as early diagnosis can be lifesaving.”
Currently around 40 per cent of cancer patients in Scotland are diagnosed by routes other than by an urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) referral.
Patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms can be more difficult to diagnose as some symptoms, or combinations of symptoms, can have a range of potential causes, not all of which are cancer.
Where cancer is the cause, the increased time taken to diagnose these patients can often result in poorer outcomes.
Under this new model, as well as an examination and suite of tests performed in primary care at the point of referral, patients will largely be sent for a CT scan in the first instance with all results discussed by a team of specialists at the hospital.
All patients will be assigned a ‘navigator’ to support them throughout their experience and to answer any questions or concerns they, or their families, have at any time.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The establishment of our first early cancer diagnostic centres within the first 100 days of this new term marks a radical change to the patient experience of being tested for a suspicion of cancer and will improve the detection of cancers at an earlier stage.
“This person-centred service will mean better care for patients, reducing the number of hospital visits they might otherwise need, preventing them having to repeat diagnostic testing and improving outcomes.
“While the centres will have a wider health benefit in identifying other, serious health conditions, the focus remains on finding cancer as early as possible when it’s easier to treat. The centres reinforce our commitment to improving the experience and outcomes of cancer patients in Scotland and build on the progress of our £43 million detect cancer early programme.”