As part of our continuing relationship with Cancer52, we have been able to make a submission on the consultation for the NHS Standard Contract towards the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
I have submitted the following on behalf of Pseudomyxoma Survivor:
Pseudomyxoma Survivor welcomes the introduction of the Faster Diagnosis Standard (https://www.england.nhs.uk/cancer/early-diagnosis/). The new Faster Diagnosis Standard will ensure that all patients who are referred urgently for the investigation of suspected cancer by their GP or a screening programme find out, within 28 days, if they do or do not have a cancer diagnosis. This standard will be introduced in April 2020.
Pseudomyxoma Survivor believes this new standard can help to ensure that those with rare and less common cancers receive a diagnosis more quickly. Many people with rare and less common cancers face lengthy delays in diagnosis, potentially impacting their chances of successful treatment. Therefore, Pseudomyxoma Survivor would like to see the initial threshold set at the highest limit (85%) in order to stretch services and to accelerate progress.
In addition, Pseudomyxoma Survivor would be keen to understand whether the Faster Diagnosis Standard will include referral by GPs for primary care tests undertaken to rule out cancer that occurs before further referral onto secondary care, such as blood tests for ovarian and blood cancers. For some rare and less common cancers failing to include such primary care tests would mean that the new standard has little impact on speeding up diagnosis as this is where delays in the system can occur. The recommendation to establish this new standard made in the 2015 Cancer Strategy appeared to intend such testing to be included.
Recommendation 24 stated that ‘Patients referred for testing by a GP, because of symptoms or clinical judgement, should either be definitively diagnosed with cancer or cancer excluded and this result should be communicated to the patient within four weeks’.
Susan Oliver
Chair of Pseudomyxoma Survivor
I would certainly welcome a new time standard for diagnosis. Late February this year I had complete cytoreduction + HIPEC at Basingstoke. No firm diagnosis was made previously until my Midlands specialist referred me to the Basingstoke team. Since a colon cancer op in 2016 I was regularly scanned. In November 2018 a sharp-eyed radiologist spotted something for further investigation. Throughout 2019 this was investigated by medics as maybe a recurrence of colon cancer, ovarian cancer etc, and in December my Midlands specialist recommended referral. At the beginning of 2020 – under a different establishment – the pace of investigations picked up. One of the Basingstoke team advised an op. I think I was pretty lucky. I did push as much as I dare as I felt this op may very well be my very best chance to survive. I think my cancer was slow growing but no medics knew that until after the Basingstoke investigations. Over a year is too long to wait! I have survived the operation and 7 days in intensive care pretty well, and am hoping to return home before too long now. I have had nothing but wonderful treatment from my specialist and staff at the BMI The Hampshire Clinic.