Cancer

The aim of the UCLPartners Cancer Programme is to improve quality of care, patient experience and outcomes – by focusing on the delivery of integrated care pathways across organisational boundaries, and by embedding access to research and innovation at every step of the patient journey. This system-wide approach is urgently needed to address the historically poorer survival rates and patient experience documented for cancer patients treated in London compared to the rest of the UK.

This vision is being delivered through three main projects:

• Development of the first integrated cancer system in the UK
• Expanding the early phase clinical trials portfolio across all age groups, including paediatrics
• Provision of the UK’s first proton beam therapy service

Integrated cancer system

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In developing the UCLPartners cancer “provider network” or “integrated system”, we have commenced with a research project to understand patients’ experience from their own perspective. Simultaneously, we are radically changing the way the cancer network’s site specific groups or “tumour boards” function, through the appointment of Executive Clinical Pathway Directors for five pilot pathways. Each Pathway Director  works closely with patients, primary care and providers to review how the pathway is functioning across the network. There is a major focus on transparent collection of quality data on outcomes that matter to patients. This underpins a change in the culture of how patients are cared for, and empowers patients and staff with improved information and pathway navigation.

The integrated cancer system project is also focused on:

• Strengthening primary care, to improve opportunities for prevention, earlier diagnosis and provision of care closer to home – and to enhance quality of survivorship and end of life care.
• Increasing access to a wide portfolio of new, biologically targeted anticancer drugs for all patients across the network, particularly for children and adolescents with cancer to be able to access novel therapies
• Working with Industry to deliver a broad portfolio of new drugs and facilitate the running of drug trials for potential indications
• Integrating research with the best possible care to ensure that every patient has the best diagnosis and has access to all clinical trials

Integrated Cancer System Briefing Papers:

Briefing Paper – May 2011
Briefing Paper – June 2011
Briefing Paper – August 2011
UCLPartners GP Update Sep 2011
Briefing Paper September/October 2011
Briefing Paper – November/December 2011
Briefing Paper – January 2012

Developing whole pathway measures for London Cancer

London Cancer will improve outcomes and experiences for patients by understanding what really matters to them and their families, and by working in partnership with them to drive improvements to care across the whole system.

We have been undertaking work to produce whole pathway measures that will enable us to demonstrate the quality both of our services, and of patients’ experiences along the entire cancer pathway.

In December 2011 we ran workshops with colleagues from nine tumour pathways to develop measures for each pathway. In February 2012 we will run a further three workshops for the Gynaecology, Upper GI (OG) and Upper GI (HPB) pathways.

The outputs for each pathway from the first round of workshops can be found below.

Brain/CNS pathway measures
Breast pathway measures
Colorectal pathway measures
Haematology pathway measures
Head and Neck pathway measures
Lung pathway measures
Skin pathway measures
Thyroid pathway measures
Urology pathway measures

If you have any questions about the process, or would like any further information, please contact Tim Burdsey, Pathway Manager for London Cancer at UCL Partners.

Early phase clinical trials

The portfolio of early phase clinical trials, including new, biologically targeted agents, is being expanded through the work of the Clinical Research Facility based at UCLH, linking closely with the UCL Cancer Institute and the UCL cancer domain that includes all cancer researchers across UCL Partners.  Expansion of the portfolio of trials available for children and adolescents is being enhanced through the appointment of a new consultant  in experimental therapeutics, working between Great Ormond Street Hospital and the teenage cancer unit at UCLH.

Proton beam therapy

UCL Partners has submitted a joint bid with the Christie Hospital in Manchester to deliver a national solution for a proton beam therapy service for the UK. The outcome is awaiting a decision by the Dept of Health.

For more information, please contact Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones, Programme Director for Cancer at UCLPartners.