Transforming cancer services in London

Analysis

Analysis plays a key role in understanding the current position. As part of their work on this, our Transforming Cancer Services Team undertook demand and capacity modelling for endoscopy services at Epsom and St Helier, and chemotherapy services at St George’s.

Training

We delivered Cancer Waits and Best Practice Timed Pathways training to cancer clinicians and service support staff in February 2024. Out of 40 evaluations received:

• 100% agreed the session was helpful for their work
  • 95% said the delivery was clear and well presented
  • 87% said they would attend a further session if offered.

Patient engagement

We have enhanced the diversity of the Transforming Cancer Services Patient Advisory Group, recruiting several new members in 2023/24 so it better reflects the London population. We also arranged expert training in equality, diversity and inclusion for members of the group.

Conversation, collaboration and innovation
We set up the London Cancer Community of Practice (CoP) in early 2023 in collaboration with NHS England Workforce, Training and Education, and Central London Community Healthcare Academy. It enables community nurses, general practice nurses and allied health professionals to come together, learn, and work together on cancer service development.

We organised well-attended webinars on the CoP in 2023/24, with a wide range of NHS speakers. Topics included cancer screening for LGBTQI+ communities; frailty, cancer and old age; and quality improvement in cancer services.
 
The Community of Practice was selected by the 2023 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Conference as an example of good practice. We presented a poster and conference abstract.

• All this work supports more effective cancer services for Londoners, making best use of resources and keeping waiting times as low as possible.

Brent liver cancer scanning pilot

We supported two primary care networks in Brent, north west London, to set up the infrastructure they needed for a 12-month NHS England liver cancer case-finding pilot. 

We provided Harness North and Harness South Primary Care Networks with programme management office expertise, helped them to develop governance structures, and supported them to strengthen their partnership with secondary care and NHS England.

The first community fibroscan clinic – a service Harness Care has contracted from   secondary care – took place on 21 February 2024. Twice weekly clinics will continue until September 2024. The aim is to test over 1,500 patients.

• This proactive approach is helping to make a real difference to the lives of people at higher risk of liver cancer in Brent.
• By reporting outcomes to the NHS England Liver Scanning pilot, it also paves the way for further strategies to combat liver cancer.