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Practices and PCNs should refer to the guidance notes and resources on this website for The NEW Cheshire and Merseyside pathway for urgent suspected LGI cancer, incorporating FIT.
Please note that the C&M pathway is NOT the same as NICE guidance but more inclusive with the absence of any age thresholds for adults and the addition of IDA.
The DES focuses on the use of FIT for patients with suspected LGI cancer. It advises that PCNs should target action to address variation in completion of a FIT in symptomatic patients by deprivation and develop patient education and safety netting approaches to follow up those who have not returned their test.
There are no changes regarding the IIF thresholds for 2024/25.
Contract specification 2024/25 – PCN requirements and entitlements
CAN-02
Percentage of lower gastrointestinal urgent suspected cancer referrals accompanied by a faecal immunochemical test result, with the result recorded in the twenty-one days leading up to the referral.
Of the denominator, the number accompanied by a faecal immune chemical test, with the result recorded in the twenty one days leading up to the referral.
Standard Quantitative; Upwards; 22; 65% (LT) / 80% (UT); GPES
Practices must ensure that all 2ww/urgent suspected cancer referrals are coded (the C&M safety netting template will do this for you)
Please note that in some areas across Cheshire and Merseyside the FIT result from the local lab does not come back to the practice with a code attached.
- Practices need to check that their FIT results have an attached Snomed code
- If there is no code this will affect your IIF target achievement
In the first instance please contact your local IT support to assist you. In addition:
- A coding solution has been created by Informatics Merseyside. Mapping FIT Results Informatics Merseyside.
- A coding solution is also available via Ardens Match the FIT Test Result to a SNOMED code : Ardens EMIS Web
Please contact your local commissioners with respect to teledermatology provision and future plans.
The following video describes the whole telederm process from setting up the dermatoscope to the processes involved, including both primary and secondary care.
The Institute of Medical Illustrators and NHS England have launched an online teledermatology training module which is now available on the Learning Hub.
All areas across C&M have non-specific services. A summary of how to use these services can be found in the newsletter below:
About the guidance:
This guidance is not a clinical guideline.
It provides advice on the use of urgent direct access referrals to specific diagnostic tests where the threshold for referral under the urgent suspected cancer referral pathway – to a specialist or for urgent GP direct access testing – as outlined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline NG12 is not met.
The guidance supports the first phase of delivery and is aimed at and of interest to healthcare professionals in primary care, secondary care and service commissioners. It builds on Direct access to diagnostic tests for cancer (2012).
It covers the following diagnostic tests, which all GPs should have access to as a minimum:
- chest X-ray
- CT chest
- CT abdomen and pelvis
- ultrasound abdomen and pelvis
- brain MRI.
It also details expectations around wait and turnaround times for direct access referrals made for this cohort.