New cancer referral pathway for the portals

More patients attending University Hospitals of North Midlands are to benefit from faster cancer diagnosis following the expansion of a service offering a quick referral route.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent primary care services have been able to refer into the Vague Symptoms Pathway (VSP) for 16 months giving patients who don’t fit the current two week wait criteria including weight loss, fatigue, bone pain but a cancer diagnosis is suspected, an opportunity to be referred for further tests.

From today (1 February 2023) patients who are seen in any of the portals at either Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford and cancer is a suspected diagnosis, they can be referred to the VSP navigator.

Kayleigh Bloor, VSP ANP, said: “Expanding our service so clinicians in UHNM can refer patients, as well as primary care prevents patients being bounced back to the GP to investigate or them being placed on two week wait pathway which can lead to being stuck between primary and secondary care. VSP will carry out the appropriate investigations and be there to support the patient through their cancer diagnosis, other diagnosis or discharge to GP with reassurance of no sinister pathology.”

VSP is a rapid diagnostic service working on the same timescales as current 2WW pathways. When patients are excepted onto the pathway they will receive a consultation within 14 days, a scan (CT TAP) if clinically required the same day and any other further investigations and referrals will be managed.

Kayleigh added: “This means patients will receive a faster diagnosis and receive a more streamlined approach to their care.”

For any more details or queries please contact Kayleigh Bloor VSP ANP on 01782 459357, or VSP Navigator on 01782 674203. Alternatively you can email uhnm.vaguesymptomspathway@nhs.net.