Introduction:
The Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) introduced new and changed commitments in terms of service standards for cancer PATIENTS that must be met. A Review of Cancer Waiting Times Standards was carried out by the Department of Health and published alongside Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer (2011).
Following this review it was confirmed in Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer that:
“overall, cancer waiting time standards should be retained. Shorter waiting times can help to ease patient anxiety and, at best, can lead to earlier diagnosis, quicker treatment, a lower risk of complications, an enhanced patient experience and improved cancer outcomes. The current cancer waiting times standards will therefore be retained.”
This updated version of the National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set supports the continued management and monitoring of the following waiting times:
- A maximum two week wait from an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to DATE FIRST SEEN by a specialist for all suspected cancers
- A maximum one month (31-day) wait from diagnosis (CANCER TREATMENT PERIOD START DATE) to First Definitive Treatment for all cancers
- A maximum two month (62-day) wait from urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to First Definitive Treatment for all cancers
- A maximum one month (31-day) wait from urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to First Definitive Treatment for children’s cancers, testicular cancers and acute leukaemia
- A maximum 62-day wait from referral from a cancer Screening Programme to First Definitive Treatment for all cancers
- A maximum 62-day wait from a CONSULTANTS decision to upgrade the urgency of a PATIENT they suspect to have cancer to First Definitive Treatment for all cancers
- A maximum 31-day wait for all subsequent treatments for new cases of primary and recurrent cancer where an Anti-Cancer Drug Regimen, surgery or Radiotherapy is the chosen CANCER TREATMENT MODALITY
- A maximum two week wait from referral for breast symptoms (where cancer is not initially suspected) to DATE FIRST SEEN.
Patient Pathway Scenarios:
The Patient Pathway Scenarios for the National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set are to be used to manage the collection of data for all PATIENTS suspected of having, or diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer for the purpose of this data collection exercise is defined using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Data for Patient Pathway Scenarios two to seven must be collected and transmitted as specified for all PATIENTS with a PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS within the range C00 to C97 or D05, or a secondary or metastatic disease linked to the original PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS (ICD) within this range (excluding categories relating to non-melanoma skin cancer).
A full list of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes the Cancer Waiting Times Database will accept is available at: Cancer Waiting Times.
When reporting patient records to the Cancer Waiting Times Database:
- The Trust first seeing a PATIENT in a particular month or quarter is responsible for ensuring that the mandated and required data fields, up to DATE FIRST SEEN, are complete on the database by the national deadline.
- Data to be complete and validated 25 working days after the REPORTING PERIOD END DATE, either month or quarter
- Specified dates are available at: Cancer Waiting Times.
Transmission:
- Information can be entered either manually through the Cancer Waiting Times Record screen (as an individual record) or via the available batch upload function.
- The specification for the csv upload file is detailed in the 'National Cancer Waiting Times User Manual' available at: Cancer Waiting Times.
- Further information relating to the data items required for the seven scenarios can be found at Patient Pathway Scenarios.
- The ability to transmit the data to the Cancer Waiting Times Database in XML format will be introduced from 1 October 2016 with the current csv upload function being discontinued from 1 April 2017. Data for submission will be formatted into an XML file as per Technology Reference Data Update Distribution (TRUD) at: NHS Data Model and Dictionary: DD XML Schemas.
Security and Confidentiality:
Security and confidentiality information to accompany the collection of this information is available at: Cancer Waiting Times.
Further guidance:
- Further guidance is available at: Cancer Waiting Times.
- Any additional queries regarding the National Cancer Waiting Times Monitoring Data Set should be addressed to CANCER-WAITS@dh.gsi.gov.uk.