Transcript Skin – patient pathway review

Skin cancer patient pathways
Why do skin cancer patients breach
cancer waiting time targets?
Referral Pathway
• Day 0 – Mrs Smith is referred by their GP on 2ww
pathway
• She is phoned by the Fast Track team and offered an
appointment for Day 14 (she is unable to attend)
• Day 17 – Mrs Smith accepts the second
appointment offered
Has Mrs Smith breached the 2 Week Wait target?
Referral Pathway
Considerations
• Could we have offered Mrs Smith an earlier
appointment to allow a second option if she
cancelled or is unavailable?
• Did the GP communicate to Mrs Smith why
she was being referred and that should expect
an appointment within 2 weeks?
Treatment Pathway
• Mr Jones was referred to Hospital A. He attended an
appointment with a dermatologist on Day 17 of his
pathway in Hospital A
• Due to the procedure he required a tertiary referral was
made to Hospital B to see a plastic surgeon
• On Day 50 Mr Jones attends his Outpatient
Appointment with the surgeon at Hospital B
• It is decided he should be listed for a day case procedure
How many days are left to treat Mr Jones on his
cancer waits pathway?
Treatment Pathway
Considerations
• What date was Mr Jones originally referred to
Hospital A?
– Was he referred as a 2 Week Wait patient?
• What information was transferred to Hospital B
from Hospital A – was this acted on?
• When the decision to treat is made Mr Jones
should be treated within 31 days:
– However this may be after his 62 day breach date, so
which date is sooner?
Summary
• Reasons for patients being delayed along their
pathway:
‘Unavoidable’ delays:
‘Avoidable’ delays:
- Patient is medically unwell
and unfit for treatment
- Patient doesn’t attend
appointments
- Patient chooses to delay
appointments
- Capacity issues prevent
scheduling on target
- Administrative errors
- Incorrect / lack of
communication