JRSM >
Volume 97, Number 3 >
Pp. 117-118
Department of Surgery, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester M20 4BX,
UK
1 Department of Clinical Oncology, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester M20
4BX, UK
Correspondence to: SE Duff, 5 Westholme Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 3QZ, UK E-mail: saraheduff{at}aol.com
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The median time between referral from the surgeon to the start of radiotherapy was 40 days (range 11–85). Only 4 patients (6%) received radiotherapy within 28 days of referral by the surgeon. 62 patients (95%) underwent surgery within 14 days of completing radiotherapy.
Delays in the provision of preoperative radiotherapy were primarily due to shortages of radiography staff and equipment. Lack of such infrastructure will prove a major stumbling block to achieving the targets of the NHS Cancer Plan.
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| METHODS |
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| RESULTS |
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Of the 65 patients audited, the mean age was 64.5 years (SD 10.6 years, range 35–84; 42 males, 23 females). Patients were referred from fourteen feeder hospital trusts. The median time from initial surgical referral to the start of radiotherapy was 40 days (range 11–85), made up as follows: time from referral by the consultant surgeon to oncology outpatient appointment 11 days (range 0–49) and time from oncology appointment to start of radiotherapy 29 days (range 8–43). After completing radiotherapy median delay to surgery was 6 days (range 1–24); 62 (95%) had their operations within two weeks. There was no relation between time to radiotherapy and Dukes' stage (P=0.62). To confirm that the audited patients were representative of the whole group undergoing preoperative short-course radiotherapy, the referral details and waiting times of the 39 patients not recruited into the growth factor study were also examined. Their waiting times, from consultant surgeon referral to commencement of radiotherapy and from oncology outpatient appointment to commencement of radiotherapy, did not differ from those of the main group.
| DISCUSSION |
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Our institution serves a population of 3.2 million with over 12 000 cancer registrations (4.16 cancer registrations/1000 population) per year. For patients with rectal cancer a dedicated gastrointestinal radiographer coordinates the booking system for radiotherapy. Links with the radiology and secretarial staff at the referring hospitals are established with a fax system for the receipt of urgent referrals and the return of radiotherapy dates in advance to allow for optimal planning of operation schedules. Fixed CT planning sessions are reserved each week for rectal cancer patients and are used to capacity. At the first oncology outpatient appointment, prearranged dates for CT planning and radiotherapy sessions are issued, if appropriate. This system allows flexibility for reallocation of treatment slots to other patients if radiotherapy is thought inappropriate. These service improvement measures were established before the development of the NHS Modernisation Agency and the initiatives of the Cancer Services Collaborative.
Unfortunately, the Christie Cancer Centre has below national average numbers of radiographers, physicists, linear accelerators and clinical oncologists. The Royal College of Radiologists recommends a minimum of 4 qualified radiographers per linear accelerator5 and the recommended number of linear accelerators is 4 per million population. Our institution has 9 linear accelerators for a population of about 3 million, and with current radiographer staffing levels even these 9 machines do not operate to maximum capacity. An increase to 14 machines is planned, but effective utilization demands a further increase in radiography staff. The oncologists also have a heavy workload: the recommended number of new referrals for a UK oncologist is 315 per year, and at present those at the Christie treat an average of 490 per year. A positive aspect of the results reported here is the short interval between completion of radiotherapy and surgical treatment. Only 3 patients waited longer than two weeks, because of unforeseen staff absences.
Substantial delays were identified in the provision of preoperative radiotherapy. The booking and treatment systems were running to capacity but the treatment machines were not; additional radiographers would be needed to allow optimum use of these machines, to say nothing of those due to be installed. Recruitment of additional physicists and oncologists will further increase the demand for radiographers. The targets of the NHS Cancer Plan are unlikely to be achieved in North West England without enhancement of staffing and infrastructure.
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