We see many advantages of being integrated with the Partnership’s strategic leadership in a way that isn’t necessarily the case in all parts of the country. This includes the opportunity to ensure that our work around the treatment and impact of cancer does not take place in isolation, within its own ‘bubble’. Increasingly, we are operating both strategically and operationally as an integral part of the exciting developments in our health and care system here in West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

With the growing numbers of people who are now living with and beyond cancer, it sits alongside the many other long-term conditions with which our ageing population will continue to live and with which our health and care system will need to grapple.

Last week we discussed the value of this West Yorkshire and Harrogate approach with national charity colleagues when we hosted a visit by members of Cancer52, an alliance of nearly 100 organisations working to address inequalities and improve outcomes for patients with rare and less common cancers.

We were delighted to welcome individual members from Pancreatic Cancer UK, Target Ovarian Cancer, Myeloma UK, Sarcoma UK, Teenage Cancer Trust and Pseudomyxoma Survivor, along with Cancer52 Chief Executive Jane Lyons to our session in Leeds.

Less common cancers can be more difficult to diagnose than others, are more likely to be diagnosed later and there is therefore less chance of being able to offer curable treatment.

The group had expressed a particular interest in hearing about our work to speed up diagnosis through the use of a multidisciplinary diagnostic (MDC) approach for patients with non-specific symptoms indicative of several cancers – and potentially none - therefore with no clear referral pathway.

Dr Rob Turner and Dr Sarah Forbes from Leeds and Dr Helena Rolfe from Airedale came along to talk about their work on the WYH national pilots for the Accelerate, Co-ordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme around MDCs, and the different models in each of the two areas. An interesting and lively discussion ensued, and thanks to Rob, Sarah and Helena for giving us their time.

Such discussions are mutually beneficial for a number of reasons. National charities spend much of their time campaigning and lobbying on behalf of their members with policy makers and influencers. It’s essential that their views are informed by what is happening on the ground, that they are aware of where innovation and development is taking place, and where the challenges exist.

In turn, the pivotal role of Cancer Alliances in ensuring the delivery of the national cancer strategy and our commitment here in WYH to wrapping cancer services around our patients means we must put the patient experience and voice at the heart of everything we do. For many people affected by cancer, it is the relevant charity that provides them with the help and support they need, and acts as a guide through their cancer journey alongside health and care professionals.

Working with charities – as well as those individual patients who give us their time and their support at local level – is a great way to keep us grounded and provides a touchstone for our priority setting and our activities. They can also help signpost us to new partnerships and opportunities for information exchange.

Cancer52 is just one of the national charities alongside which we are currently working.

In addition to providing the driving force behind the ACE programme, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan are significant partners from both a funding and partnership perspective – the former particularly in our Early Diagnosis workstream and the latter with a focus on Living With and Beyond Cancer. Both are represented on our Alliance Board and project groups.

We’ve been working with Breast Cancer Now to pilot across our acute Trusts our service pledge for breast cancer – which supports tailored service improvements for patients by bringing together staff and NHS patients to tackle the issues that matter most to them during their treatment. Evaluation shows improvements in the standard of care, speed of treatment once diagnosed, patient information and involvement. This is the first time that this evidence based approach to service improvement, led and driven by patients, has been successfully carried out across a whole population and healthcare system.

We’re now looking at opportunities for taking the learning and rolling this out further through the charity Prostate Cancer UK.

Closer to home, at regional level, we are collaborating with Cancer Support Yorkshire on a Macmillan-funded pilot project to improve cancer patient access to personalised  post treatment support in Bradford. Our partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research on a bursary scheme for reporting radiographers and clinical endoscopists has attracted significant interest.

Our colleagues in the Teenage Cancer Trust carry out invaluable work with young people whose lives are affected by cancer, both in hospital and community settings. I have personally endorsed their schools education programme and we are currently exploring with my colleagues Dan Stark, Consultant in Medical Oncology and TCT clinical researcher, and Nurse Consultant Sue Morgan, both based at the TCT’s Principal Treatment Centre in Leeds, how we might better work together for mutual benefit.

So lots happening, but lots more to do. We’ll keep you posted!

Have a good weekend

Sean

A few links that may be of interest if you want to know more….

  • A full list of Cancer 52 members is available here on their website.
  • Click here to visit the area of the website dedicated to how the charity is working with Cancer Alliances.
  • Click here for more information on the ACE programme and multidisciplinary diagnostic centres on the Cancer Research UK website.
  • More here about Teenage Cancer Trust’s educational programme.

What else has been happening this week?

West Yorkshire Joint Health and Overview and Scrutiny Committee

West Yorkshire Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) met on Monday. Our Partnership discussed three areas of work: finance; the Partnership’s memorandum of understanding; and stroke. Members were keen to understand the development of the Partnership Board and we will be keeping them updated as the work develops. Working with local Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSC) and JHOSC is an essential part of our Partnership work. This will help ensure best practice and shared solutions in the delivery of health care services across our area. You can read the papers here. The next meeting will take place in December.

Integrated care system / Partnership leaders meeting

Integrated care system / Partnership leaders (also known as STPs) from across England met on Monday. There was a discussion on the progress of integrated care systems; the long term plan; the work of NHS England, NHS Improvement and NHS Confederation.

Local placed based planners

The six local place based planners met on Tuesday (Bradford District and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield). Colleagues discussed the work taking place in their areas. Bradford colleagues gave an update on the work they are doing around their approach to contracting. Wakefield are preparing for their peer review later this month, supported by the Local Government Association. Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Board endorsed their local plan in September and Harrogate colleagues updated the group on their recent staff and partner engagement sessions. There is some great work taking place across all our areas – for example Leeds held the Big Leeds Chat event on Thursday at the Leeds Markets.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Priority Programme Group

Our programme leads met this week. This included colleagues from the Cancer Alliance, innovation and improvement; improving planned care and reducing variation; digital; urgent and emergency care programmes.  Johnny Chagger attended the meeting to talk about information governance and data sharing between partners working on shared initiatives. Dawn Greaves, from the digital programme updated colleagues on the West Yorkshire and Harrogate proposals for the Health System Led Digital Investment (HSLI) fund submitted to NHS England earlier this month. We hope to hear more by the end of October – we will keep you posted. Oliver Barnes from the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Heath Science Network updated members on the innovation and improvement work plan for joint delivery by the Partnership and Y&H AHSN which was agreed at a recent system executive leadership meeting. Oliver explained his role at the AHSN as the key account manager for our area.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate – supporting unpaid carers

The project group met this week. This includes colleagues from the NHS and councils. The meeting is chaired by our programme lead Fatima Khan-Shah. We want to be a place where carers are identified, valued and supported so that all carers no matter how young or old receive the same level of care and attention. Evidence shows that people who are carers can have poorer health than those who are not. Our ambition is for all carers to feel supported and to have good health and wellbeing – and to share the good work going on in our local areas wider, where appropriate. This week the group discussed the development of the programme’s structure, including the development of a community sector network and task groups around primary care, workforce, young carers, social care and acute care which will include Carer representation. There was also an update on planning young carers’ events to encourage them into health and care professions with peer support. A progress update on the development of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Carers Passport was also given. We will keep you updated on this and the allocation of recent funds to support the vision as the work develops.

Personalised Care Demonstrator Steering Group

The personalised care demonstrator group met on Wednesday. This includes colleagues from our six West Yorkshire and Harrogate local areas. This area of work is all about whole population approaches to keeping people healthy; for example social prescribing and working alongside communities to keep people healthy and well. It’s also about people with long term health conditions being supported to improve their knowledge, skills and confidence to self-care, where safe to do so. For example, self-management health education, coaching, inputting into their personal health care plans – and importantly being seen as equal partners in their own care. This involves shared decision-making and legal rights to choice. People with complex health conditions will be supported to have more control and choice including personalised health budgets – and also integrated health and social care budgets.

We are one of twenty two demonstrator sites specially selected to work in this way to share learning and good practice.

What’s happening next week?

  • West Yorkshire and Harrogate Urgent and Emergency Care Programme Board meet on Monday.
  • West Yorkshire and Harrogate Communication and Engagement Network meet on Tuesday.
  • A national cancer round table discussion will take place on Thursday. It will be held in Wakefield.
  • The Local Area Partnership Group meets on Friday. This includes staff side representatives and union party leads.

The next meeting of the Maternity Voices Partnership Group is on Friday.