TCST Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter for key updates and latest news, highlighting the range of projects and programmes that the Transforming Cancer Services Team is currently working on, in partnership with stakeholders to improve outcomes from cancer for Londoners, and support the delivery of cancer services across London.

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Previous editions

TCST Newsletter – June 2023 – FINAL

NHS England launches next phase of national lung cancer awareness campaign

29th September 2023

On 18 September, NHS England launched another phase of the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, focusing specifically on lung cancer symptoms. The campaign aims to increase knowledge of the key symptom of lung cancer – a cough that lasts three weeks or more – and encouraging those who have this symptom to contact their GP […]

Upcoming cancer waits and best practice timed pathways training

29th September 2023

Our next range of Cancer Waits and Best Practice Timed Pathways training will take place on 3 and 18 October via MS teams.Each session will last around one hour.In light of the recent announcement by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care on forthcoming changes to how cancer waiting times are measured […]

Updates to cancer staging data

29th September 2023

We’ve recently updated the cancer data on our website to reflect the latest published figures for: Sub-ICB Cancer stage at diagnosis; and Cancer Alliance stage at diagnosis Data shows the case-mix adjusted percentage of cancers diagnosed at stage one and two for twenty-one malignant cancers in England in 2013-2020 by sub-ICB and Cancer Alliance respectively. […]

New pan-London lymphoedema working group set to launch

29th September 2023

TCST is launching a pan-London lymphoedema working group in collaboration with the Pan London Lymphoedema Community of Practice. The programme will build on the previous work addressing the needs of Londoners experiencing lymphoedema as a consequence of cancer treatment, and the workforce that deliver this essential service.Focus areas that the group will be responsible for taking forward […]

Improving the bowel cancer pathway for local Bengali communities

29th September 2023

We’ll soon be kicking off a new project to improve the uptake of Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) in the Bengali community across north east London. Through the project, we’ll be working with staff at the Macmillan Centre at Newham Hospital to interview patients from the Bengali community who have been asked to undertake a FIT […]

Changes to primary care and community education and training

29th September 2023

Following discussion at the last meeting of the Primary Care and Community Education Group (PCCEG) in July and with other key stakeholders, there was agreement that: primary care and community education and training for personalised cancer care would be incorporated into the London Personalised Cancer Care Partnership Board; training for early diagnosis would be incorporated […]

Supporting patients completing FIT webinars for administrators and clinicians

29th September 2023

A webinar discussing the role of FIT and how administrative staff can best support patients took place on 19 September.Produced by GatewayC and supported by TCST, NHS England and the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance Early Diagnosis Team, the webinar was attended by over 160 people from across England. Primary care specialists discussed the role of […]

NHS England announces changes to standards measuring cancer waiting times

29th September 2023

From 1 October, the standards measuring waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment are being modernised and simplified. The NHS will move from the 10 different standards in place now to three: Faster Diagnosis Standard: a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of referral (set at 75%) 31-day treatment standard: commence treatment within 31 […]

FIT in secondary care pilot project to launch across north east London

15th June 2023

A project to promote the use of Faecal Immunohistochemical Testing (FIT) in urgent secondary care is scheduled to launch this summer across two hospital sites in north east London. The aim of the pilot is to reduce the time to diagnosis by investigating high-risk patients who present to secondary care emergency departments with lower GI […]

Cervical Screening Awareness Week: 19-24 June 2023

12th June 2023

According to research by Macmillan Cancer Support, one in every four women don’t attend their cervical screening test, and London has some of the lowest rates in the country, standing at just 65.7% of eligible individuals (NHS Digital, 2021). The reasons for this can be varied, from a general lack of awareness about cervical screening through to concern […]