NEWS
Faster diagnostic tests for NHS cancer patients
Hospitals are now being asked to work towards a 10-day turnaround when delivering diagnostic test results to patients who have received an urgent referral for suspected cancer, as part of new plans to see and treat people for cancer as early as possible. This means hundreds of patients waiting to have cancer ruled out or diagnosed in some cases, are set to receive this news faster, helping to relieve anxieties or enabling treatment to start sooner. In a letter sent to local health areas, NHS leaders are also asking teams to prioritise diagnostic tests like MRI scans for cancer in community diagnostic centres (CDCs) or to free up capacity for these cancer tests within hospitals by moving elective activity into the centres. In February 2023 the NHS achieved the faster diagnosis standard for suspected cancer for the first time, with three quarters of those referred receiving a definitive diagnosis or all clear within 28 days – over 170,000 people (171,453) – ahead of the March 2024 target.
These ambitious plans also come on the back of significant progress in reducing the number of people waiting longest for treatment or to have their cancer ruled out – having brought the 62-day backlog down by almost 15,000 patients since the summer (19,027 on 19 March 2023 compared with 33,950 on 19 September 2022). This would not have been possible without new diagnostic capacity made available through community diagnostic centres (CDCs) – with 105 now open and offering a ‘one-stop shop’ for tests and checks in local areas close to people’s homes.
Dame Cally Palmer, NHS National
Director for Cancer, said: “It is a testament to the hard work of NHS staff that we are seeing and treating record numbers of patients for cancer, and have made significant progress bringing down the backlog and achieving the target for diagnosing three quarters of people within 28 days – all despite huge demand and pressures on the system. Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and while we’re already diagnosing a higher proportion of cancers at an earlier stage than ever before – we want to ensure we’re making the absolute most of the diagnostic capacity in our community centres and hospitals.”
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IBMS to take over Harvey’s Gang laboratory tours
The IBMS has been entrusted with running Harvey’s Gang laboratory tours to ensure many more young patients and members can benefit from the initiative. As founder and IBMS member Malcolm Robinson and the Harvey’s Gang trustees have decided to wind down the charity, the IBMS is stepping in to become the new custodian.
The IBMS will now take on responsibility for running laboratory tours and will provide members with all they need to host a tour for children undergoing intensive treatment for severe diseases. The tours are beneficial for children who get an insight into their treatment, but also for laboratory staff who will have the opportunity to meet the patients whose names they have often seen attached to samples they are working to process and analyse.
Malcolm Robinson commented: “The trustees and I are extremely grateful for the work that the IBMS has done with Harvey’s Gang over the past six years or so, we’ve built very close links and we were thrilled when they agreed to take over running the tours.”
For more details about Harvey’s Gang, including how your laboratory can sign up to give young patients a tour of your workplace, please visit the website at
www.harveysgang.com.
Diagnexia expands Exeter facility
Pathology diagnostics service provider Diagnexia UK – owned by Deciphex – recently celebrated the launch of its expanded facility at Exeter Science Park. The Exeter expansion, which includes 30 new jobs, highlights Diagnexia’s commitment to driving innovation in digital pathology and supporting local employment. The expanded facility will bolster Diagnexia’s capacity to
provide rapid, accurate, and high-quality pathology services to multiple NHS trusts across the UK and in its facilities in Toronto and Chicago. Pictured are Sally Basker, CEO of Exeter Science Park, and Dr Donal O’Shea, CEO of Diagnexia UK opening the new offices. The event was attended by local dignitaries, healthcare professionals, and business leaders. The Deciphex clinical platform, Diagnexia, connects hospitals and laboratories to an international network of subspeciality expert pathologists, who can provide their expertise on clinical cases, ensuring the delivery of the highest quality of patient care for NHS Trusts and healthcare services globally. The expansion has been supported by South West Local Enterprise Partnership through the award of the European Regional Development Fund Inward Investment Support Grant Scheme to Deciphex.
JUNE 2023
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM
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