RS-HANC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does stratifying patients into low or high risk prior to their initial consultation reduce breaches in head and neck cancer?
IRAS ID
311050
Contact name
Katharine Davies
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 12 days
Research summary
Suspected head and neck cancer referrals are currently referring in on a NG12 NICE referral form from GPs. Hospitals have a contractual obligation to see such referrals within 2 weeks of referral from GP.
The numbers of such referrals received by secondary care are constantly increasing and within Merseyside currently approximately 7% of the patients referred in will turn out to have cancer. With a rising demand and a narrow permitted window of time to diagnose a malignancy (28 days), there is increasingly a need to stratify such referrals further to highlight those at highest risk for malignancy so that these can be expedited and directed to the most appropriate clinician to review.
In our study we will use a verified risk calculator to triage these referrals. This will involve a short telephone call with the patient to ask a few questions about their symptoms. This automatically generates a score which can then be divided into high or low risk depending on the percentage score. If the patients are deemed to be high risk then they will be seen within 7 days. If they are low risk they will be seen within the usual 14 day criteria.
All patients referred to Liverpool University during the 6 week study period will be eligible to be included in the study.
The study is partially supported with funding from Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance who are funding statistician support.REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0150
Date of REC Opinion
19 May 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion