Healthcare Professional Guidance

This page is a resource platform to offer healthcare professionals guidance within the Humber and North Yorkshire region.

If you would like a specific document adding to this webpage – please email your request to [email protected].

Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT)

The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) has become a key test in helping to diagnose colorectal cancers (CRC) at an early stage. It has become the standard test used in the bowel cancer screening programme (replacing FOBt) and is now an essential tool in the risk assessment and management of people with worrying bowel symptoms.

In Humber and North Yorkshire, we are facing significant backlog and delays in diagnosing and treating CRC patients. Consistent use of FIT in these patients in Primary Care might help direct them to the most appropriate diagnostic services and onward management and treatment, including future rapid Straight to Test pathways.

This guideline is intended to be used by GPs and clinicians managing patients with a suspicion of CRC. The aim of this guideline is to set out the local framework for the use of FIT and to assist Primary Care clinicians in using it to best effect for their patients.

Cancer Care Review Pack

To reflect the changes made to the Cancer Quality Outcome Framework indicators for 2021/22 and 2023/24, the Cancer Care Review pack is now being re-launched and will now include various information and support to help GPs, Social Prescribers and other healthcare professionals to improve the quality and effectiveness of Cancer Care Reviews for patients going forward.

The pack has been condensed to provide information around :

  • What is a Cancer Care Review and its purposes
  • Changes to the Quality Outcomes Framework indicators
  • Cancer Care Review Process Map
  • What Cancer Care Review templates are available
  • Clinical Coding of Cancer Care Patients
  • Methods of contacting a patient or a Cancer Care Review
  • Social Prescribing for Cancer Patients
  • Quality of Life Survey
  • Additional resources and other useful links

Cancer Alliance 23/24 Plan

The Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance plan for 2023-24 shows the objectives for different workstreams, and how success can be measured in achieving those objectives. Ultimately, the goals are working towards transforming the diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients in the Humber and North Yorkshire region.

Humber and North Yorkshire Inter Provider Transfers(IPT) Operating Framework

Many cancer pathways involve a transfer of care and responsibility between two or more acute providers. This Inter Provider Transfer (IPT) Operating Framework has been developed to ensure the timely transfer of clinical and administrative information between providers when an IPT occurs. This framework covers all cancers and organisations.

There are three parts to the framework; i) the principles and definitions, ii) the operational and administrative procedure detail and iii) the cancer pathways and minimum data sets required.

The aim of the Operating Framework is to ensure:

• Patients receive appropriate assessment; diagnosis and treatment within the specified cancer waiting times standards
• The patient journey is appropriately monitored with key events communicated between all providers involved in the patient pathway
• Problems are escalated appropriately and in a timely manner to the relevant staff so that remedial action can be taken
• Breach reasons are agreed and breaches appropriately allocated between providers in accordance with the National Cancer Breach Reallocation Guidance, NHS England 2016