Performance Standards

Faster Diagnostic Standard

The West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA) are implementing a new diagnostic standard for cancer that emphasises the importance of receiving a diagnosis or ruling out cancer within 28 days. For patients who are diagnosed with cancer this means treatment can be offered earlier. For those who are not diagnosed with cancer, this communication of an ‘all clear’ reduces the anxiety felt at a very stressful time. The aim is to enable patients to have their diagnosis communicated to them in the shortest time possible, having experienced high quality care.

Cancer alliances are leading on the drive to introduce earlier and faster diagnosis by enabling transformational change through support for clinicians to make positive changes to service delivery, improving patient experience and outcomes. The rapid diagnosis and assessment interventions being put into place now will help to ensure the Faster Diagnosis Standard is met when fully introduced from April 2020.

Best Practice Pathways

WMCA’s transformation bids were centred on work to transform how care is provided to people who are living with and beyond cancer and to fund early diagnosis projects which include the implementation of what are known as ‘Best Practice Pathways’ or ‘Optimal Pathways’. These are national clinical treatment pathways used by healthcare providers to manage patients as they go through different phases of their treatment and on-going care within the NHS. The WMCA will focus on implementing four transformational national optimal pathways across the West Midlands: lung, colorectal, upper gastrointestinal and prostate.

Genomic and Personalised Medicine

Increased use of genomics to target treatments more effectively will be used in the West Midlands. From 2019, children with cancer, and adults suffering from certain rare conditions or specific cancers, will begin to be offered whole genome sequencing.