We have developed new referral forms for urgent suspected cancer, with the help of our primary care and secondary care cancer clinical leads. These new forms will help improve the referral process for patients.
This has involved agreeing and standardising guidance for Urgent Suspected Cancer Referral forms in line with NG12. To complement the revised forms, tumour specific information and education guides have been developed in addition to patient information leaflets.
This work has been supported by the Surrey and Sussex Local Medical Committee (LMC).
The first revised urgent suspected cancer referral forms are for breast, gynaecology, lung, and urology cancers. Find them here in the right-hand column.
Please note: We do not state that any fields are mandatory. However, it is reasonable for the receiving trust to request clarity or additional information where it is essential for the transfer of care.
Key changes include:
- All forms follow a consistent format detailing clinical and non-clinical information.
- Hyperlinks have been built in for easy access to education on cancer, definitions and NG12 guidance.
- Forms include auto populated fields (only available for coded information)
- A link to a downloadable patient information leaflet to hand to your patient at the time of referral.
Download this patient information leaflet to hand to your patient at the point of referral. It explains why they have been referred by you on an urgent suspected cancer pathway and what to expect. Versions available in English and other languages, and easy read.
To access all versions click the button below.
Top tip: download the patient information leaflet and save it to your desktop
For private GPs and referrers who do not have access to e-Referral Service (ERS)
Please do not use this information if you are an NHS provider and have access to ERS
Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance supports onward referral by private clinicians who pick up signs or symptoms of cancer in line with NG12 guidance in an urgent way without referral back to the patients’ NHS GP.
This is in line with General Medical Council Good Medical Practice and supports the principle of earlier and faster diagnosis by avoiding delays for patients choosing NHS care for investigation and diagnosis of cancer after an initial private consultation.
The fast-track Urgent Suspected Cancer Referral Forms (USC) can be found on this page, on the right, alongside referral guidance documents. The forms are the latest versions suitable for use across the Cancer Alliance footprint in line with NG12 and any additional locally agreed guidance.
Please ensure you complete any relevant first line investigations and include the results of these with your referral. Please also inform the NHS GP of the referral and ensure that there are appropriate avenues for the patient to be followed up after secondary care review.
The email addresses for the hospital trusts where these forms should be sent are included below. They are monitored daily and referrals will be processed as USC referrals:
| Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | asp-tr.theredteam@nhs.net |
| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust - Eastbourne District General Hospital | esh-tr.2weekwait-edgh@nhs.net |
| East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust - Conquest Hospital | esh-tr.2weekwait-conq@nhs.net |
| Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust | Frimley has tumour specific emails for USC referrals. They can be found on this link: Referrals & key contacts | NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust (fhft.nhs.uk) |
| Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | tqv-tr.qvh2wwreferrals@nhs.net |
| Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust | rsc-tr.TWWAppts@nhs.net |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | sash.cwtreferrals@nhs.net |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust - Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital | uhsussex.outpatients.bookingcentre@nhs.net |
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust - St Richard's Hospital, Worthing Hospital, Southlands Hospital | uhsussex.outpatients@nhs.net |