"Applying Quality Improvement Science to Performance Challenges".
Welcome to the Cancer Access Delivery Programme and Cancer Performance Support Team Home Page
The remit of the Cancer Access Delivery Programme is to secure actions that will deliver the cancer waiting times target and monitor delivery across Scotland.
Under Better Cancer Care the current 62-day target will be extended to include patients who are referred through the national cancer screening programmes. The action plan also sets a new target that by 2011, all patients diagnosed with cancer, whatever the route of referral, will start treatment within 31 days from the date of decision to treat.
The new targets will ensure greater equity for all patients with a suspicion of cancer and / or subsequently diagnosed to have cancer, and have to be implemented and achieved by December 2011. The new targets are being taken forward alongside the work on the new 18 week referral to treatment standard, which will have other quality benefits of further accelerating diagnosis for routine patients, and the integrated use of resources across all access targets.
The Cancer Performance Support Team (CPST) was set up in 2006 to assist NHS Boards in meeting the 62-day cancer waiting times target set in 2000, due for delivery in 2005. A great deal of progress has been made, with performance improving from 84.5% in January - March 2007 to 96.0% in January to March 2009, with the 95% target compliance first being reached in October to December 2008. More detailed published statistics can be found on the Scottish Goverment website. CPST continues to support Boards with a tactical, problem-solving role, tailored to the most challenging cancer pathways in Boards.