We are committed to ensuring that high quality, modern services are available to anyone affected by cancer.
As new and more effective treatment options become available, we have an opportunity to ensure that treatment options are expertly combined to maximise their impact and improve survival and quality of life outcomes for the patient.
Our vision is to make sure that people affected by cancer receive equal access to the right treatment, by the right people and at the right time, regardless of where they live in our region.
Examples of areas we are working on:
Multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTs) bring together professionals from across all elements of cancer care and are central to the management of patients with cancer. Considering the needs of each individual patient, they aim to reduce variation in decision-making and to ensure the best care and treatment plans for patients.
MDTs were introduced a long time ago but we know that there are elements that need to improve in order for them to be as efficient and effective as possible.
By listening to our partners and learning from best practice, we are working across the system to identify the best way of developing regional and local standards for MDTs.
Chemotherapy, or systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT), is used in the treatment of cancer. It is often used in combination with other therapies such as surgery and radiotherapy.
The Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance SACT Reference Group is representative of all key professionals from across Frimley, Surrey and Sussex. The group’s ambition is to ensure equitable access to high quality Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy and Supportive Care and that a highly skilled workforce is in place and that patients are well informed and receive the highest standard of care.
Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance is part of the West London Radiotherapy Operational Delivery Network (RT ODN). There are four radiotherapy centres within the network: Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Marsden Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust.
The Radiotherapy Network aims to reduce variation in access and practice by establishing gold standard protocols across all tumour sites. It is supporting a review of radiotherapy provision within the region and rolling out stereotactic radiotherapy techniques - all of which will be underpinned by a robust and highly skilled workforce.
We are working with the South East Genomics Laboratory Hub (GLH) and the South East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (GMSA) to bring advances in scientific knowledge around cancer and genes into cancer pathway delivery. This will mean that cancer treatments can be better targeted to an individual’s disease.
The work will aim to embed delivery of the National Genomic Test Directory which defines the genomic testing that should be offered to people affected by different types of cancer. Find out more on the South East Genomics website.