NALC has been a member of the UK Head and Neck Cancer Coalition since it was formed several years ago. We have been keen to support the project, led by Professor Vin Paleri, to set up a new head and and neck cancer clinical audit. President Malcolm Babb is a member of the steering committee and like other head and neck groups we have provided financial support. NALC was involved with the previous audit, DAHNO, which closed in 2014. The project has been running for a year and has produced an interim report on progress made.
The report explores how care for head and neck cancer patients is currently delivered across England and examines whether routinely collected NHS data can be used to create a future national audit to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and drive more consistent standards of care.
The Coalition was actively involved throughout the development of this project. Representatives from Coalition member organisations worked directly alongside the NaHaNCA research team to ensure that the patient voice and lived experience remained central to the work. This included helping to review and prioritise the performance indicators that matter most to patients and families affected by head and neck cancer.
Importantly, the Head and Neck Cancer Coalition UK brought together perspectives from across its membership of 16 organisations to help shape the direction of the study and ensure the findings reflected real-world patient experiences and priorities.
The project has also been made possible through the support, collaboration and funding contributions of a number of organisations across the head and neck cancer community, many of whom are Coalition members or partners. These stakeholders have played an essential role in supporting the feasibility study and helping to build the foundations for a future national audit that could transform head and neck cancer care in England.
The interim findings already highlight important issues including:
high rates of late-stage diagnosis
inequalities linked to deprivation and geography
significant delays in treatment pathways
variation in outcomes between hospitals and regions.
As a Coalition, we believe this work demonstrates the critical importance of collaborative working between clinicians, researchers, patient organisations and people with lived experience. Together, we can help ensure future head and neck cancer services are more equitable, data-driven and centred around the needs of patients.
Use the link below to download the report