Colorectal Clinical Network
Clinical Lead: Mr. Andrew Torrance (SWBH), Project Manager: Aradhika Heer (BCPC)
The Colorectal clinical network has continued to develop, expand, and obtain clarity on the focus of their work during 2022-23. Through active engagement and an ‘away day’ the network identified six quality improvement and transformation priorities for pursuit, with one which is now at project closure stage, these are:
- National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA)
- Regional Colonic Stenting Programme
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Workforce
- Improving outcomes in Advanced Colorectal Cancer and Improving management of Early Rectal Cancer
Looking Ahead
The Colorectal clinical network has seen very positive engagement from, and working relationships with, colleagues from all four sites, which includes working with other teams and sub-groups such as operational managers and cancer managers.
Colorectal continues to remain a challenged pathway however, a positive example of success would be the two week wait FIT improvement programme which has now been implemented across the Black Country healthcare system.
The end of year review which took place in March 2023 enabled a clearer direction of travel as we head into a new financial year, with focussed priorities centred around early and advanced cancer.
Given the purchase of the Da Vinci robots at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. This opens the opportunity to extend robotically assisted surgery for suitable patients with Colorectal cancer in addition to this service being available at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
More Information
You can read more about the Colorectal Clinical Network in the BCPC Annual Report 2022-23.