The Head and Neck Cancer Coalition UK is proud to support the release of the Patient and Public Summary of the National Head and Neck Cancer Audit (NaHaNCA) Feasibility Study Interim Report. This important work represents a major step towards establishing a new national clinical audit for head and neck cancer in England, following the discontinuation of the previous audit programme DAHNO in 2014.
The report explores how care for head and neck cancer patients is currently delivered across England and examines whether routinely collected NHS data can be used to create a future national audit to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and drive more consistent standards of care.
The Coalition was actively involved throughout the development of this project. Representatives from Coalition member organisations worked directly alongside the NaHaNCA research team to ensure that the patient voice and lived experience remained central to the work. This included helping to review and prioritise the performance indicators that matter most to patients and families affected by head and neck cancer.
Importantly, the Head and Neck Cancer Coalition UK brought together perspectives from across its membership of 16 organisations to help shape the direction of the study and ensure the findings reflected real-world patient experiences and priorities.
The project has also been made possible through the support, collaboration and funding contributions of a number of organisations across the head and neck cancer community, many of whom are Coalition members or partners. These stakeholders have played an essential role in supporting the feasibility study and helping to build the foundations for a future national audit that could transform head and neck cancer care in England.
The interim findings already highlight important issues including:
- high rates of late-stage diagnosis
- inequalities linked to deprivation and geography
- significant delays in treatment pathways
- variation in outcomes between hospitals and regions.
As a Coalition, we believe this work demonstrates the critical importance of collaborative working between clinicians, researchers, patient organisations and people with lived experience. Together, we can help ensure future head and neck cancer services are more equitable, data-driven and centred around the needs of patients.
Use the link below to download the report
A poster was prepared for the recent BAHNO meeting and this is a useful summary of the report.