Urological Cancers Optimal Pathway Group

The group provides strategic oversight to improve urological 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.

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

Prostate referral tool discussion.jpg

The group has delivered the following projects to date:

  • Good progress has been made on achieving implementation of the National Optimal Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Pathway in all Trusts across the Alliance. All Trusts are now delivering mpMRI before biopsy to facilitate earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer (pre-Covid).
  • A rapid review was undertaken across the six West Yorkshire and Harrogate NHS Trusts to assess the current biopsy practice and assess the baseline for being able to deliver transperineal biopsies. Transperineal biopsy can reduce the risk of infection for men undertaking a prostate biopsy and enable patients to get the best prostate biopsies at the earliest opportunity. It will also allow more extensive and accurate biopsies of the prostate gland, thereby aiming to reduce the number of biopsies required in the future.

Bill and Olly LTHT TP biopsy Leeds Cancer Programme.jpg 

 This new practice has currently been implemented in Leeds Teaching       Hospitals NHS Trust and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and it will be   introduced in Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust in October 2021.

 By offering  this procedure, the three hospitals will meet and surpass   NICE guidelines and offer gold standard care, placing the Trusts on a par   with other leading  centres such as Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital in   London.   

 Picture, left, courtesy of the Leeds Cancer Programme

  • Addressed the consistency of patient information at the point of referral on a suspected prostate cancer pathway through the development of a patient information leaflet to ensure that men are fully informed about the next steps on the pathway. The leaflet has been co-produced in collaboration with PCUK and is currently being piloted within several local primary care practices. Click here for more information about the referral tool on the Prostate Cancer UK website

Current priority target areas for the group are:

  • To ensure the unmet demand for urology cancers as a result of Covid is addressed
  • To continue to audit findings from the pilot undertaken in the three Trusts to implement transperineal biopsy and consider further roll out of the practice at the remaining Trusts in West Yorkshire and Harrogate
  • To standardise the urology two week wait referral criteria across West Yorkshire and Harrogate
  • To consider how prostate MDT meetings can be streamlined and made more efficient in line with local recommendations and national guidance and develop an Alliance wide Standard of Care for prostate cancer
  • ​​​​​As part of achieving the National Optimal Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Pathway, Trusts are currently still working towards achieving straight to test mpMRI and delivering consultant led one stop (same day) diagnostic clinics
  • To work with the Living With And Beyond Cancer team to support Trusts to embed Personalised Stratified Follow Up (PSFU) interventions into the pathway for people living with and beyond cancer, including delivery of Supported Self-Management (SSM). 
  • To produce a standardised West Yorkshire and Harrogate Active Surveillance Protocol
  • To produce a standardised West Yorkshire and Harrogate post RALP Surveillance Protocol
  • Optimise the bladder pathway across Trusts in West Yorkshire and Harrogate to facilitate earlier diagnosis of bladder cancer
  • Monitor and improve the West Yorkshire and Harrogate 28 Day Faster Diagnosis Standard performance on the urology pathway

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

For the calendar of meetings and events, please click here