MEDICAL staff in South Gloucestershire have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

The teams from North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) were selected among the best from the 350 entries for Cancer Care Team of the Year at the British Medical Journal Awards.

Nominated for their pioneering work in implementing a new referral system, the teams have worked to improve the time from referral to diagnosis for colorectal cancer patients at Southmead Hospital from four weeks to less than two weeks. 

CCG Macmillan cancer lead and GP Dr Alison Wint said, “Over 40,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. It is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second most common cause of cancer related death.

“We know that faster diagnosis of colorectal cancer gives people the best chance of survival and improves health outcomes, so it is vitally important that we are able to investigate those folk with suspicious symptoms more quickly.

“The new referral system allows GPs to refer cancer patients electronically directly for the investigation needed and has had a significant impact on the treatment pathway, enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.

“The new system was created collaboratively, with close work between the NBT and the CCG to provide an integrated approach to diagnosis and treatment.

“It’s fantastic that the work between our two organisations has been recognised in this way and we have been able to help our patients get the right treatment more quickly.” 

The new referral system works by allowing GPs to refer directly to the hospital for further tests. It is an innovative solution that has used technological advancements. The system has been evaluated and proven to help patients be seen more quickly and improve local performance against national cancer targets.

The team attended an awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster, where they shared centre stage with other top health professionals from around the UK.