Winner
Implementation of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) for lung cancer at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre
By Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) for lung cancer is an established radiotherapy treatment in specialist centres within the UK. A pre-requisite for accurate delivery of SABR is image guided radiotherapy. Recently acquired linear accelerators with the additional functionality of Cone Beam Computed Tomography enabled image guidance, facilitating the introduction of this technique locally in July 2013. SABR was introduced for patients with confirmed diagnosis of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer with small, early stage lesions. Prior to SABR in Belfast this group of patients travelled to Leeds, involving the stress of being away from home in a strange environment.
Judges’ comments
“The team from Belfast City Hospital travelled to Leeds Hospital; the Leeds team then travelled back to Belfast. A good deal of buy-in, for a sustained length of time, is quite an achievement between two hospital teams in very different geographical locations. Safety was right up there on the agenda, within a complex treatment area which meant that the patient benefitted too. This is a good, sustainable application.”
Commended
Improving complex colorectal cancer care through multidisciplinary team collaboration
By St Mark’s Hospital, London North West Healthcare NHS Trust
The complex colorectal cancer team at St Mark’s was established in 2001 to offer surgery to those with locally advanced primary rectal cancer or a pelvic recurrence of a rectal cancer. Referrals are received from across the UK as very few other Trusts provide this service. Two initiatives have promoted multidisciplinary team working: the first was a review meeting to discuss all new referrals; the second was a weekly ward-based meeting to bring core team members together to discuss all current complex cancer patients’ rehabilitation needs and help plan discharge care. Both have expedited clinical decision-making and improved liaison with local teams to make the care pathway more patient-centred.
Judges’ comments
“This is a terrific collaboration, as all true MDT teams are! Great bedrock of colorectal cancer running since 2001, so well-conceived. This is a good unit and team who have been open and transparent and improved the model as they have been going along.”
