Jenny Chen to Present at Cancer Research UK’s Early Diagnosis Conference 2024
Date: 4-5 June 2024 Venue: The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham
Cancer Research UK is set to host its sixth in-person biennial Early Diagnosis Conference, gathering the cancer research and healthcare community in the UK. The theme for this year’s conference, “Driving Evidence into Practice,” aims to highlight the latest advancements in early cancer diagnosis. The event will feature a comprehensive programme of speakers, interactive sessions, and workshops, all designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Among the notable presenters at the conference, Jenny Chen from M·E·L Research, alongside Dr Heather Wilkes, RDC Clinical Lead at Swansea Bay University Health Board, will present findings from their evaluation and research titled “Development of an All-Wales National RDC Service for Earlier Cancer Diagnosis.” The presentation will take the form of a poster presentation.
In the UK, it is estimated that 50% of cancer patients do not exhibit the red flag symptoms necessary for referral to a site-specific suspected cancer pathway. For primary care practitioners, the nature of presenting symptoms plays a crucial role in determining the referral route, which significantly impacts the waiting times for diagnostic and treatment interventions.
Before the introduction of Rapid Diagnosis Clinics (RDCs), General Practitioners (GPs) often faced challenges in coordinating diagnostic investigations or choosing the correct specialty for referral. This could lead to downgraded referrals, repeated investigations, and patients being transferred between Multi-Disciplinary Teams, resulting in delayed diagnoses and poor patient outcomes.
The All-Wales Rapid Diagnosis Clinic Programme
Established in 2021, the All-Wales Rapid Diagnosis Clinic Programme aims to support the implementation of RDCs. Initially, two pilot programmes were launched in Swansea Bay and Cwm Tâf Morgannwg University Health Boards in 2017. These pilots demonstrated that RDCs are a cost-effective solution for improving outcomes for patients with vague, non-specific symptoms by providing a single access point for diagnostics, significantly reducing the referral-to-diagnosis time from a mean of 84 days to just 6 days.
Following the successful pilots, the Wales Cancer Network (WCN) approved the establishment of a national RDC Programme. This initiative involved collaboration with various stakeholders across NHS Wales, including Health Boards, Improvement Cymru, Wales Cancer Alliance, Digital Health and Care Wales, Health Education and Improvement Wales, Welsh Government, patients, academics, and other national programmes. This collaborative approach facilitated the co-design of a National Optimal Pathway, Service Specification, and a national patient experience survey, ensuring the RDC model is equitable and accessible for the entire population of Wales.
As a testament to its success, the RDC Programme and the WCN were honoured with an NHS Wales Award in 2023 for providing exemplary services in partnership across NHS Wales.
Programme Evaluation and Key Findings
To evaluate the implementation and impact of the national RDC programme, M·E·L Research was commissioned to conduct an independent summative evaluation. The evaluation aimed to:
Understand the impact of the RDC programme on patients, primary care staff, secondary care staff, and wider Health Board services.
Assess whether the RDC programme adds value to NHS Wales.
Share learnings and optimal practices for future national programmes.
The evaluation found that the Programme had achieved its intended outcomes and added significant value, including:
Demonstrating the effectiveness of a nationally directed but locally delivered model, with six out of seven Health Boards in Wales implementing RDCs and agreements in place for patients from Powys to be referred to RDCs operated by neighbouring Health Boards.
Achieving high patient satisfaction, with over 90% satisfaction across key measures.
Processing 2,706 referrals in 2022/23, with 82% accepted by RDCs.
Achieving a 17% rate of patients seen within 7 days and 41% within 8-14 days.
Maintaining a 7% cancer conversion rate and a 4.1% DNA (did not attend) rate.
High job satisfaction among RDC staff.
Encouraging system-wide collaboration and changes.
During their poster presentation, Jenny Chen and Dr Heather Wilkes will share key insights from the programme’s design and implementation, discuss the outcomes and impact, and explore considerations for improving service sustainability, continuous improvement, and further rollouts.
This presentation promises to be an enlightening contribution to the conference, offering valuable lessons and evidence-based practices that can inform future cancer diagnosis initiatives across the UK.
Join us at Cancer Research UK’s Early Diagnosis Conference 2024 to learn more about these groundbreaking developments and engage in meaningful discussions on improving early cancer diagnosis and patient outcomes.
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