New tech tool hoped to cut cancer wait times
It's hoped 'Cancer 360' will benefit millions of patients
It's hoped cancer patients will get faster diagnosis with a new technology that's to be rolled out across the NHS.
The Department for Health and Social Care say that the technology, called Cancer 360, will bring cancer patients' data under one digital system.
This means that staff won't have to gather various pieces of information about one patient from different spreadsheets emails and records but will have it all in one place.
The DHSC say this will also help cut treatment delays and increase survival rates.
Trusts won't have to use Cancer 360 but will be urged to if they don't meet the cancer standard (which is that 85% of cancer patients should have started their treatment within 62 days of being referred).
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS national clinical transformation director, said: "Every cancer patient deserves swift, effective care, and our new Cancer 360 solution harnesses data to ensure exactly that. By giving clinicians a comprehensive view of patient pathways, we can identify and address delays immediately.
"The NHS federated data platform (FDP) is already showing its value in transforming cancer care, helping our hard-working staff deliver better outcomes while reducing administrative burden. As Cancer 360 expands to more hospitals nationwide, I'm confident we'll see meaningful improvements in both treatment times and patient experience."
The tool has been piloted at Royal United Hospital Bath, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Chelsea and Westminster met the faster diagnosis standard with it where 75% of patients received a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of referral.
Suraiya Abdi, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust, said: "The implementation of Cancer 360 has enabled my team to monitor and safely carry our patients through their cancer pathway.
"The tool enables us to have in depth conversations at our weekly meetings regarding a patient's next step as well as allowing us to escalate queries directly to other teams for faster turnaround.
"The tool has reduced the amount of admin time spent by our cancer team therefore enabling them to focus on the patient journey. I have witnessed an improvement in performance, team spirit and most importantly patient experience."
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: "I've seen first-hand the stress and heartbreak that cancer causes in my own family.
"Dependent on archaic pen-and-paper systems, life-saving diagnostics appointments hung on whether a post-it note lost its stick, or a piece of paper went missing. That put lives at risk, and with the technology we have today, there's no reason for any part of our healthcare service to run in such a way.
"Simply by keeping accurate records, the technology we are putting to work today will cut waiting times and save lives, delivering on our plan for change. That way, people can once again trust that their local hospital has the tools it needs to focus on what matters - treating their loved ones and keeping families together for longer."
The DHSC said Cancer 360, to be rolled out soon, will benefit millions of patients in the next five to 10 years.