To receive an update from NUTH/NHSE on oncology performance nationally and regionally. (Report to follow).
Minutes:
Members received a presentation from NUTH/NHSE on oncology performance nationally and regionally. (A copy of the powerpoint slides has been filed with the signed minutes).
N. Kenny, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, G. Jones, Clinical Lead for Cancer Services and V. Conro, Cancer Manager were in attendance to present the performance data.
The presentation covered the following issues:
· Cancer waiting times performance data and summary.
· It was noted that since the publication of the Quality Account showing two week wait annual performance at 76.1%, performance had further deteriorated, reporting a lower level of 68.2% by the end of August.
· Referral demand continued to increase, with an average of 2500 patients referred every month making it more challenging to see patients within two weeks. However, there were more patients being seen within two weeks than in previous years and this was not reflected in the performance percentage. There was also a deterioration in this standard because of the introduction of more straight to test pathways. This performance would be captured in the 28 day faster diagnosis standard going forward.
· The test pathways would support earlier diagnosis ambitions which was a positive development for services.
· From the 1 October 2023 there was no longer the requirement to report on two week waits.
· There had been unprecedented levels of skin cancer referrals this summer.
· The two week wait outpatient activity continued to be prioritised throughout periods of industrial action.
· The target to achieve 75% to receive results/diagnosis was showing a strong performance overall.
· There was a widening scope of digital imaging across the skin pathway, exploring IT solutions.
· There continued to be a review of current escalation processes for diagnostics where there were delays.
· All patients were actively tracked and monitored as they progressed through their pathways and improvements were being made to manage escalations.
· The Trust had more difficulties achieving the 62 day standard than the 28 day standard. Therefore, the Trust was working to extend the best practice timed pathways to include and monitor patients all the way up to 62 days to clearly highlight holdups in pathways and establish clear expectations for each stage of the pathway.
Following the presentation a number of points were made, including:
· Disappointment that the waiting times had got worse since those reported in the annual accounts. It was questioned whether the Trust had carried out accurate forecasting to give assurance that things would improve. In response it was stated that although some performance had deteriorated other targets had seen slight improvements. The Trust was committed to improving waiting times and a number of key actions had been taken. Forecasting for the next year would take place soon.
· It was questioned if other trusts both nationally and internationally met their oncology targets. In response it was confirmed that others probably collected different data and worked towards different targets so it would be difficult to collate comparable information. But this request would be looked into.
· It was recognised that there had been a rise in the numbers of referrals which had impacted targets. It was confirmed that there were more patients being seen within two weeks than in previous years and this had not been reflected in the performance percentage. There was also a deterioration in this standard due to the introduction of more straight to test pathways.
· Regular cancer awareness campaigns continued advising all the benefits of early detection and general ways in which to improve overall health. Although these initiatives were good it could lead to increases in referrals.
· It was queried whether the new Berwick Hospital would have its own Oncology department. It was confirmed that the officers presented were unsure of what services would be available at the site.
· The benefits to patients if treatments could be delivered locally especially if it was a longer outlook or prognosis.
· Could the data be broken down to show the number of patients from Northumberland? It was confirmed that this would be possible and could be sent to the Scrutiny Officer for circulation to members.
· Smoking tobacco remained one of the biggest risks factors.
· Patients were left feeling frustrated by a lack of communication when waiting for referrals and treatment appointments. It was advised that this had been flagged as an issue.
· It was reported that survival time for all cancer types 40 years ago was just one year, now it was predicted to be nearly six years. This improvement was testament to the improvements in surgery, diagnosis, radiotherapy, and new drugs.
· Advances in technology were helping the NHS with the latest artificial intelligence technology helping to diagnose and treat patients more quickly.
· It was advised that artificial Intelligence (AI) could hold enormous potential for the NHS, if used right. It could reduce the burden on the system by taking on the tasks that could be converted into an algorithm. It could improve patient outcomes, and increase productivity across the system, freeing up clinicians’ time so they could focus on the parts of the job where they add the most value.
The Chair thanked officers from NUTH for attending the meeting and providing the presentation to members.
RESOLVED that the information and comments made be noted.