Today the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is pleased to announce that the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) has awarded it the contract to deliver the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA), for the forthcoming 3–5 years.
The NLCA has previously achieved outstanding levels of NHS hospital participation with data being used to drive improvements in the quality of care for people with lung cancer. The RCP will build on this success by delivering a new NLCA that incorporates key advances in the field of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, whilst retaining the most successful elements of the previous audit.
For the first time organisations have come together to direct and deliver the audit, including nurses who specialise in lung cancer care, surgeons, oncologists and patients through the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. In addition, all the data will be collected in near-real-time directly through Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration Service.
Stewart Malcolm, 61 from Hastings, East Sussex is a patient who had surgery for Stage 2 lung cancer 2 years ago, strongly believes that all patients in England and Wales who present to their GP symptoms consistent with lung cancer should receive the same excellent standards of care.
Mr Malcolm said:
I know from my own experience that early detection is vital in assessing and treating lung cancer. So I hope that the information gathered by the National Lung Cancer Audit helps to ensure that all patients, wherever they live, can receive treatment of the very highest quality. Delays in processing the results of X-rays, for instance, can have a significant impact on how quickly a patient is referred for treatment of further investigation. In my case, all went well and the care I received, from my GP, from the hospital staff and since my surgery, has all been wonderful. We should all be making every effort to ensure that such excellent care becomes standard practice, so that all patients and families can experience a consistent level of service right across the country.
The RCP recognises the importance of partnership working and remains committed to cutting-edge, evidence-based healthcare in improving quality of care.
Dr Ian Woolhouse, Senior Clinical Lead for the National Lung Cancer Audit, said:
The RCP is very excited to be given this opportunity to deliver the national lung cancer audit and we will take it to the next level. The RCP has a great track record in quality improvement and we intend to use the data in a really productive way that meets our ultimate aim, the improvement of patient care.
Mr Doug West, SCTS Thoracic Surgery Audit Lead, said:
The SCTS is delighted to be partnering with the new NLCA team on this important project. We strongly support the publication of the results achieved by cancer teams, and believe that high-quality lung cancer surgery should be available to all patients who could benefit.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Joanna Morgan, communications manager, RCP Care Quality Improvement Department on +44 (0)20 3075 1354, or email Joanna.Morgan@rcplondon.ac.uk
- Further information on the NLCA programme can be found here.
- The National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) is an established and valued national clinical audit whose work dates back to 2003. It currently forms part of the National Clinical Audit Programme.
- *About HQIP, the National Clinical Audit Programme and how it is funded.
- The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) is led by a consortium of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Nursing and National Voices. Its aim is to promote quality improvement, and in particular to increase the impact that clinical audit has on healthcare quality in England and Wales. HQIP holds the contract to manage and develop the National Clinical Audit Programme, comprising more than 30 clinical audits that cover care provided to people with a wide range of medical, surgical and mental health conditions. The programme is funded by NHS England, the Welsh Government and, with some individual audits, also funded by the Health Department of the Scottish Government, DHSSPS Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
- Partnership organisations include:
- National Cancer Registration Service – is run by Public Health England and is responsible for cancer registration that has been an integral part of the NHS for over 50 years.
- Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – is a registered charity, whose mission is to beat lung cancer by funding innovative world-class research and aims through early detection and patient experience to make a significant impact on lung cancer for the benefit of patients.
- British Thoracic Oncology Society – is a UK lung cancer and mesothelioma research group that aims to improve the care of patients with thoracic malignancies through multidisciplinary education and clinical and scientific research.
- Nottingham University – is a research group that offer methodological and analytical support of the NLCA.
- Society for Cardiothorasic Surgery - the representative body for cardiothoracic surgery in Great Britain & Ireland and aims to continuously improve the quality of healthcare.
- National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses - established in 1999 to provide networking and support to nurses specialising in the care of people with lung cancer.
- National Specialist Advisory group for lung cancer Wales - provides all Wales clinical specialist advice on cancer in Wales.