Breast Cancer Optimal Pathway Group

The group provides strategic oversight to improve breast cancer outcomes and patient experience across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. By taking a whole pathway and system wide approach the group implement and support:

  • Urgent responses to pressures that have recently occurred due to COVID-19.
  • National cancer priorities outlined in the in the NHS 5 Year Forward View and NHS Long Term Plan (screening, early diagnosis, delivery of the ‘Rapid Diagnostic Centres’ and Personalised Care Interventions.)
  • The development and updating of local clinical guidelines.

​​​​​surgery generic image.jpegThe group meets three times a year, culminating in an educational event, where shared learning and best practice is presented to a wider networked audience.

The group has delivered the following projects to date:

  • An educational event took place in November 2019 which brought together clinicians and other allied health professionals to improve breast cancer outcomes in West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

   Click here to access the agenda, programme of speakers and                 presentation slides 

  • Reviewed the process for the sharing of information across the Alliance on open clinical trials
  • Identified key metrics to measure improvements for breast cancer outcomes and patient experience in West Yorkshire and Harrogate
  • Standardised the two week wait (2WW) breast referral criteria across the Alliance to ensure the referrals into secondary care are consistently of high quality. A copy of the form can be found here

Current priority target areas for the group are:

  • Develop educational tools/guidance to increase confidence in GP’s to manage several low risk breast conditions initially in primary care
  • To progress an audit to review the regional variation in practice in axillary node management in patients undergoing NACT and the impact on patient outcomes/experience.
  • To update and review West Yorkshire and Harrogate clinical guidelines
  • ​​​​​​Pinpoint image 1.jpgTo progress the PinPoint Service Evaluation on the breast pathway. PinPoint is a new blood test which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify a patient’s risk of cancer. The PinPoint Test looks for biomarkers which when combined with a patient’s data produces a probability of the patient having cancer
  • To embed and update Personalised Care Interventions in the pathway

Take a look at our calendar of meetings and events

If you require further information, please contact the Optimal Pathways team by emailing optimal.pathways@nhs.net.