Resources for those Commissioning or Planning Cancer Services

Many GPs will also be involved through clinical commissioning groups and other organisations in commissioning and/or planning cancer services.

This area of the toolkit contains resources relating to this. Commissioners and planners should consider the benefits of preventative interventions as well as effective pathways for diagnosis and management.

Policy Directions

England

Scotland

  • Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action – The new Scottish cancer strategy sets out a 5-10 year plan to tackle cancer by improving prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment and after care for those affected.

Wales

  • Cancer Services in Wales – Makes recommendations for how to improve cancer outcomes in Wales, and includes recommendations for, and relevant to, primary care.

Service Capacity

Cancer Research UK have undertaken several pieces of work in recent years around service capacity in secondary care, as well as cost benefits of earlier diagnosis of cancer. Reports from these can be found on their website.

Where to Find Support for Improvement Activity

There are various sources of help and support for practices or CCGs in working to improve cancer care.

RCGP CIRC Clinical Priority Programme

  • Early Diagnosis of Cancer Significant Event Analysis Toolkit – Aims to support CCGs and GP practices find emerging themes, and use local intelligence to manage issues.
  • This toolkit is just one of the tools to come out of the RCGP clinical priorities programme. For further information visit the CIRC Website

Cancer Research UK Health Professional Facilitator Programme

The Facilitator Programme

This enables facilitators to work in partnership with NHS Commissioners, GP Cancer Leads, Public Health and other local bodies to support in the prevention, diagnosis and management of cancer.

Cancer Research UK Strategic GP Leads

  • Lead GPs working with Strategic Clinical Networks and Cancer Alliances in England. Contact primarycare@cancer.org.uk for further details.

Macmillan GPs

  • Macmillan GPs are practising GPs who devote an average of a day per week to work with Macmillan to make a recognisable improvement in cancer care across the UK

Cascade

Quality Improvement

Data to Inform Improvement Activity

RCGP members' forum