Effective Cancer management: framework

1. Corporate Responsibility

All NHS Health Boards have a duty and responsibility to ensure efficient and effective systems, structures and processes are in place to manage patients who are referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer (USC), or diagnosed through alternative routes, in a timely manner.

1.1 Board Chief Executives (BCE) and Executive Teams should be clear and consistent in the message to all staff that cancer is
a priority.

1.2 Strong leadership from designated Cancer Manager and Clinical Lead for Cancer.

1.3 Agreed governance and management structure for cancer, including Cancer Management Group or equivalent, with a
cross-section of Senior Managers from cancer pathways (i.e. Radiology, Pathology, Medical Director, Lead Cancer Clinicians, and Nurse Specialists). This clear structure should aid agreed timed patient pathways, data analysis, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and effective breach analysis.

1.4 NHS Board Lead Cancer GP must be a core member of the Cancer Management Group.

1.5 Comprehensive awareness and understanding of the 62 and 31 day cancer standards - for all staff involved in the pathway from cancer trackers and MDT Coordinators to Registrars and Consultants.

1.6 Agreed timeline to clear any backlog, and trajectory to meet cancer waiting times standards, in every NHS territorial Board for teams to collectively deliver a clear, shared goal.

1.7 Named Cancer Framework Champion in every NHS Board.

1.8 Ongoing engagement with Realistic Medicine Champions to ensure principles embedded across cancer pathways.

1.9 The patient should be at the heart of all care. Effective communication channels should be in place to ensure all relevant team members and the patient are aware of and central to processes, timelines and next steps.