The first results from six new national cancer audits have been published by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN), commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of NHS England and the Welsh Government.
This national centre of excellence, based in the Clinical Effectiveness Unit of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine since 2022, aims to strengthen NHS cancer services by looking at all treatments and patient outcomes across England and Wales.
With more than 385,000 new cancer cases and around 167,000 cancer deaths in the UK each year, the national cancer audits aim to improve the care and outcomes for patients and reduce disparities in access to treatments across diverse groups.
The National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre is home to ten national cancer audits that examine NHS services in England and Wales. Six ‘new’ audits have published their first ‘State of the Nation Reports’ for:
- Primary breast cancer
- Metastatic breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Kidney cancer
The Centre’s ‘established’ audits cover:
Cancer treatment is complex - there are multiple treatment options for different types of cancer. A patient’s treatment plan needs to take into account the stage of their cancer and how they will respond to treatment, and importantly, ensure all patients eligible for treatment receive it.
Each national cancer audit aims to ensure the information produced for cancer services recognises these differences and supports hospitals to focus on the parts of the care pathway. The State of the Nation reports contain recommendations for NHS cancer services on where improvement is needed.
Part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP), the national cancer audits aim to:
- Provide regular and timely evidence to cancer services of where patterns of care in England and Wales may vary.
- Support NHS services to increase the consistency of access to treatments and help guide quality improvement initiatives.
- Improve cancer detection, treatment and outcomes for all patients.
NATCAN collaborates closely with professional groups and patient charities. Patient forums have been established to ensure that patients inform the quality improvement goals of each audit. The cancer audits are committed to engaging widely with charities and experts involved in cancer care, delivering for patients and their families, as well as healthcare professionals and the health service.
Dr. Julie Nossiter, Director of Operations, National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) said: “This is a significant milestone for the Centre, and we expect that the findings from the new cancer audits will guide improvements of cancer care and outcomes in England and Wales.
“The audit teams will continue to work closely with key stakeholders, including clinicians and people with lived experience of cancer, towards our shared goal of ensuring that everyone receives the best possible care following a diagnosis of cancer.”
Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said: “The national clinical audits shine an important spotlight on NHS cancer care across England and Wales, helping NHS hospitals to improve and strengthen their services for patients.
"This groundbreaking collaborating centre provides more cancer clinicians with the evidence base they need to review the care they are providing to patients. It will also help them to ensure they are following best clinical practice.”
