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CANCER IN SCOTLAND: ACTION FOR CHANGE

Second Monitoring Reports
1 April 2002 - 30 September 2002

Published December 2002

This document is also available in pdf format (252k)

Contents

North of Scotland Cancer Network (NoSCAN)

South East Scotland Cancer Network (SCAN)

West of Scotland Cancer Network (WoSCAN)

This is the second monitoring report detailing regional cancer networks' progress with implementing investments to support Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change. This report covers the period from April to September 2002 including progress on investments from 2001-02 (updating the first monitoring report) and progress with 2002-03 investment/implementation plans. Subsequent monitoring reports will continue to monitor the outcomes of investments from the previous monitoring period in order to demonstrate the ongoing benefits to patients.

Many of the investments are clearly demonstrating improvements and benefits to patient care. Specific details of each of the investments and the improvements they have made across Scotland can be found in each of the regional cancer networks' reports. Some highlights are:

Rapid Access to Diagnosis and Treatment

• While building works proceed for the new CT scanner at Ninewells Hospital, a mobile scanner at Stratcathro has been providing an extra 14 scanning sessions. Waiting times for oncology scanning have been reduced from 14 weeks to 2 weeks as a result.

• Additional sessions pending new permanent staff appointments in Tayside have reduced waiting times for urgent bone scans to 2 weeks rather than 10 as before.

• In the Borders waiting times for MRI has reduced from 6 months in April to less than 3 weeks in September 2002 as a result of additional MRI visiting sessions. A mobile scanning unit in Edinburgh is ensuring that an additional 800 patients are seen while the planned new unit is built and becomes operational.

• In Glasgow radiology investments have resulted in everyone referred with suspected cancer being seen within 2 weeks and there are more investments in the pipeline which are expected to double MRI capacity over the next year

• Additional endoscopy equipment in Ayrshire & Arran has halved waiting times to 8 weeks.

Improving Treatment and Care

• In Tayside additional chemotherapy nurses and equipment has improved the safety and equity of access to chemotherapy treatment.

• Additional nurse clinic time in Shetland has reduced waiting times for the pain clinic from 2 months to 1 month with complementary therapies also now available.

• In Glasgow an increased theatre session for spinal tumours has resulted in the non tumour waiting time being reduced from 15 to 9 months.

• Additional therapy radiographers in post have enabled the extension of CHART (Continuous Hyperfractionated Accelerated Radiotherapy Treatment) to the whole of the South East of Scotland with 20 patients being treated to August 2002.

• More breast specialist clinics and theatre sessions in Lothian have resulted in 25 more new patients seen each week with urgent referrals seen within 2 weeks.

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