CP HNC GP Communication Pathway
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Introduction of a Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) General Practitioner (GP) communication pathway in community pharmacies (CP) in NHS Tayside.
IRAS ID
316795
Contact name
Andrew Radley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Tayside
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
To improve the outcomes for patients presenting with cancer, it is important to identify disease as early as possible. Later presentations and more advanced disease at diagnosis mean that there are fewer treatment options available and poorer outcomes. Community pharmacies in Scotland are found in each community and their services are now promoted as the first port of call for patients with minor ailments. Previous work has shown that people present in community pharmacies with symptoms which could be suggestive of a cancer diagnosis. This study will enhance current practice by training community pharmacy teams to recognise symptoms associated with possible head and neck cancer, incorporating use of an assessment tool to help with symptom assessment and facilitate communication of concerns to the patient’s general practitioner. To evaluate this work we will explore the acceptability of the pathway, how successful its implementation has been and what uptake has been generated. We will gather feedback from participants and professionals involved in the process. We will observe care outcomes in study participants, by tracking patients through the pathway using GP practice data and National Datasets.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0925
Date of REC Opinion
3 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion