The West Midlands Cancer Alliance is committed to reducing unwarranted variation in cancer treatment and embedding personalised care across the region. This programme supports the delivery of national priorities and locally driven improvements to ensure equitable, timely and effective care for all patients.
Our programme is structured around two key areas that guide our work:
A key focus is implementing recommendations from national audits and GIRFT reports to improve treatment access and patient outcomes. This includes increasing uptake of systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) for lung and pancreatic cancers, improving chemotherapy rates for bowel cancer and supporting immediate reconstruction for breast cancer patients. We also aim to reduce treatment delays for Oesophago-gastric and high-grade Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients through quality improvement interventions.
Alongside treatment optimisation, the programme aims to embed the core personalised care interventions and Personalised Stratified Follow-Up (PSFU) pathways, into cancer pathways. This includes establishing local accountability agreements, enhancing digital tracking, the implementation of Personalised Stratified Follow-Up in priority tumour site pathways and ensuring sustained delivery of core personalised care interventions:
The Alliance also supports the development and implementation of co-produced plans for psychosocial support, cancer prehabilitation and physical activity interventions - recognising their role in improving patient outcomes and reducing long-term NHS resource use.
Working collaboratively with NHS Trusts, ICBs and clinical stakeholders, the Alliance provides tailored support to providers not meeting national objectives, facilitates data-driven improvements using intelligence from Cancer Outcomes & Services Data Set (COSD), National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES) and National Quality of Life (QoL) surveys, and contributes to national forums to share best practice and escalate challenges.
By aligning national priorities with local needs, this programme helps to deliver the NHS strategic ambition that more people each people each year will survive their cancer for five years or more. It reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, personalised and sustainable cancer care across the West Midlands.
Click below to find out more about each area of work and how they are helping to deliver better outcomes for patients