Published on 9 August 2021
An NHS video has been released explaining a new service which is speeding up cancer diagnosis.
The educational animated video aimed at healthcare professionals showcases the Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) Programme, renamed Rapid Diagnostic Services (RDSs) across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The programme is a new way for local health services to work together to support the faster diagnosis of people experiencing suspected symptoms of cancer, including for patients presenting with non-specific symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss. For these patients, there may be a concern there is an underlying malignancy but the cause is hard to determine.
Cancer alliances across England are helping the NHS to achieve the objective set out in its Long Term Plan for this to become the default model of care for all suspected cancer pathways by 2024.
CMCA is at the forefront of the rollout of RDSs across the region, with sites now fully operational in six hospital trusts, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust and St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The CMCA RDS programme team is also liaising with a further three trusts to implement the programme in their hospitals.
The NHS Long Term Plan set out an ambitious five-year vision for the RDC programme and has highlighted seven key components they need to include:
- Early identification
- Timely referral
- Symptom assessment
- Coordinated testing
- Timely diagnosis
- Onward referral
- Patients will receive excellent coordination and support throughout this process.
For more information on the role and implementation of the programme, watch the video here and more learning is available here