29.01.14
Lung cancer audit driving up standards of care
The National Lung Cancer Audit is an “invaluable tool” to improve care and save lives, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has concluded.
A new report has analysed the impact of the audit, which captures up-to-date information on lung cancer cases across the UK, comparing clinical practice in hospitals, helping to identify problem areas and to drive up standards of care.
The audit is managed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians and commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP).
From 2008 to 2012, the number of patients receiving radiotherapy increased from 25% to 30%, and the number seeing a nurse specialist increased from 50% to 80%.
Dr Jesme Fox, medical director for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “The journey from the early beginnings of the NLCA to its current status as a world leader in cancer intelligence has been a remarkable one.
“It has developed into an invaluable tool used on a daily basis to improve lung cancer care and save lives. It is vital that it continues to be resourced in the future and that the data it uncovers continue to be used to tackle lung cancer in the UK.”
Dr Mick Peake, clinical lead, National Lung Cancer Audit and National Cancer Intelligence Network, said: “The work of the NLCA is not done; there is still unacceptable variation in standards of care and in patient outcomes.
“We very much hope that the Government continues to recognise the value of programmes such as the NLCAand make the funding available for it to continue to drive up the quality of care for the large number of people who are unfortunate to fall victim to this disease.”
Dr Anita Donley, clinical vice president at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), said: “Lung cancer is a serious condition, with over 40,000 cases seen each year. The RCP believes audit can make a real difference in the care delivered to patients with lung cancer across the country and we support the RCLCF’s call for the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) to continue.
“The wealth of data that is accumulated by the audit is vitally important for all aspects of planning, commissioning and delivering lung cancer care in the UK. For example, the NLCA’s data is used to inform clinical pathways for patients, it shapes importance guidance (for example from NICE) for doctors and healthcare professionals, and contributes to the development of indicators for CCGs.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]