Linda Devereux

Associate Director

Merseyside and Cheshire Cancer Network

- why we are here and what’s next!

Challenge of cancer – national context

• Major cause of concern to the public• Every year over 200,000 people in England will

be diagnosed with cancer• Cancer is the biggest killer with 125,000 people

dying each year• Many more people are now living with cancer

National priorities

Need to address variation in life expectancy

Need to reduce deaths from cancer

Need for investment to improve survival rates

Need to improve access and end the ‘postcode lottery’

National Policy - 2000

Improving

• Prevention

• Screening

• Cancer services in the community

• Treatment and care

Cutting waiting times

Investing in staff and facilities

Future plans – research and genetics

PrimaryCare

SecondaryCare Tertiary Care

General Practitioner

DistrictGeneral Hospital

SpecialistTreatment

Centre

Aftercareand

Support

Cancer Patient pathway

Cancer Networks – The Benefits

• Opportunity to collaborate and share best practice• Improved communication and standardisation• Ensuring patients have the equal access to the best

possible care and treatment across the network• Coordinated across a patient pathways rather than

formal organisational boundaries• Opportunities for patient and user involvement

• 12 Hospital Trusts

• 7 Primary Care Trusts

• plus Isle of Man and parts of North Wales

• 2.3 m population

• Established in 2000

New cases of cancer - MCCN

New cases of cancer within Merseyside and Cheshire Network (2006)Data source: National Cancer Intelligence Service

Brain/CNS (161) Breast (1733)Gynaecological (563) Haematological (792)Head & Neck (423) Lower GI (1286)Lung (1690) Malignant Melanoma (366)Other (406) Sarcoma (82)Upper GI (1082) Urological (1912)

Challenge of cancer – Merseyside and Cheshire

• Over 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year• For the biggest single group – lung cancer – our rates

are 18% higher that the national average• Death rates are also higher – 5,500 people die each year

from cancer.• We have the worst mortality rates in the country – 21%

higher than England

Partnership working

Lead Clinicians

Clinical Network Groups

X 26

LocalitiesX 5

Network Managers

Network Board Lead Nurses

and AHPs

Development and Implementation of Cancer Strategy

Transformation of services

• Multi-disciplinary teams formed to manage every cancer patient• Clinical expertise concentrated into specialist teams• Better treatment – surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy• Challenging waiting times targets achieved• Development of screening programmes• Emphasis on addressing health inequalities that exist through earlier

detection and prevention• Significant contribution made by patients, carers, volunteers and

staff

Contrasting pathways - then and now..

Cancer Reform Strategy – challenges and opportunities

• Incidence of cancer is increasing as people live longer

• More people are alive having survived cancer

• Scientific understanding is improving greatly

• New opportunities for early diagnosis

• New treatments in the pipeline

• Potential to introduce new service models to improve convenience and outcomes for patients

Building for the future

• Bringing services closer to patients’ homes• New models of services eg changing inpatient

management• Development of a comprehensive cancer centre• Increasing incidence but new targetted therapies• New technologies• Needs of patients surviving their cancer and living

longer• Patient involvement critical as we deal with these

challenges

Building for the future

New cases of cancer set to rise• Ageing population, obesity

More people will survive and live longer• Need for different kinds of support and care

Better knowledge of how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer• Advances in medical technology

Need for greater effectiveness and efficiency

Patient and public involvement is critical