Going Further on Cancer Waits (GFOCW)

The NHS Cancer Plan (September 2000) and the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) introduced a number of service standards relating to cancer waiting times for out-patient services and hospital treatment. These are:

NHS Cancer Plan

2 week standard from urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to first hospital assessment

31 day standard from decision to treat to first treatment

62 day standard from urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to first treatment

31 day standard from urgent GP referral to first treatment for childrens cancers, testicular cancer, and acute leukaemia

Cancer Reform Strategy

Two week standard from referral for breast symptoms whether cancer is suspected or not to first hospital assessment;

31 day standard from decision to treat/earliest clinically appropriate date to any subsequent treatment for all cancer patients including those diagnosed with a recurrence

62 day standard from urgent referral from NHS Cancer Screening Programmes (breast, cervical and bowel) to first treatment for cancer

62 day standard from a consultants decision to upgrade the urgency of a patient (e.g. following a non- urgent referral) due to a suspicion of cancer to first treatment

All cancer waiting times service standards (both from the Cancer Plan and the Cancer Reform Strategy) are monitored through the revised national Cancer Waiting Times Database (CWT-Db) issued in April 2009.

Formal guidance on GFOCW can be found at: http://nww.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/nhais/cancerwaiting/documentation/support (NHS users only)

In Addition

The National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) has issued a guide (along with other stakeholders) to support the implementation of the symptomatic breast two week wait standard

Monthly Updates

NCAT and NCIN issue each month a summary of all the communications between them and the NHS about cancer waits. This is not formal guidance authorised by DH but a record of communications that stakeholders have indicated is useful while awaiting updates of the formal guidance.

September 2009 Update