Responding to NHS England plans to pilot ‘one stop’ clinics for
cancer diagnosis and assessment, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard,
Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:
“Any initiative that improves diagnosis of cancer should be
welcomed, and it is great to see investment being put into
initiatives, such as these new ‘one stop’ clinics that promise to
speed up diagnosis for patients with cancer.
“GPs are doing an excellent job of appropriately referring
patients with cancer, with over 75% of cancer cases currently
being referred after just one or two consultations. But one thing
that would help improve this – and something the College has
long-called for – is better access to diagnostic tools in the
community. Currently our access is amongst the lowest in Europe,
and we hope these centres will go some way to filling this void.
“Traditionally, GPs have to refer patients who they suspect of
having cancer to a particular hospital department, which works
only if the symptoms point to a particular cancer type. However,
several cancers start with very vague, non-specific symptoms and
these ‘one stop’ clinics will help diagnose such cases earlier,
hopefully improving outcomes, and freeing up valuable
appointments with hard-stretched GPs.
“We hope this pilot is a success, and if it is that is rolled out
widely across the country so that patients can benefit from these
centres wherever they live - this would then help in reaching the
Faster Diagnosis Standard, one of the goals of the current
national cancer plan. But as with any pilot, it is essential that
the scheme is rigorously evaluated to ensure that new centres can
cope with demand, and that it is beneficial for patients, and the
wider NHS.
“Ultimately, we need to see more resources and more GPs in the
community, so that we can continue to deliver the best possible
care to all our patients, including those with cancer, and those
we suspect of having cancer.”
