Royal Oldham among 10 England hospitals which will become a cancer 'one-stop shop'

The Royal Oldham Hospital is to become a cancer ‘one-stop-shop’

The Royal Oldham Hospital has been announced as one of only ten across the country which will become and ‘one-stop-shop’ when it comes to cancer diagnosis in a bid to catch the disease as soon as possible.

NHS England rapid diagnostic and assessment centres are being piloted as the organisations attempts to catch all forms of cancer early and speed up diagnosis for people with the disease.

Each of the centres, which also includes University Hospital South Manchester, will operate in a different way to ensure they meet the needs of their local communities.

However, all have the same purpose – to diagnose cancers early in people who do not have ‘alarm symptoms’ for a specific type of cancer.

If a GP or other healthcare professional suspect cancer, they will now be able to refer to a one stop shop where all the necessary investigations can be done under one roof.

Some patients will receive a definitive diagnosis or all clear on the same day, while others will need to undergo further assessment, but can generally expect a diagnosis within two weeks of their first appointment.

Cally Palmer, National Director for Cancer at NHS England, said: “Early diagnosis is crucial to saving lives and providing peace of mind for patients, which is why we are driving forward plans to revolutionise our approach to cancer in this country.

"These new one stop shops represent a real step change in the way people with unclear symptoms are identified, diagnosed and treated.”

These new centres are part of NHS’s plan to meet the new faster diagnosis standard, where patients with suspected cancer should receive a diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days.

Those diagnosed with cancer can be referred on to specialists, while those with benign conditions receive appropriate treatment and tailored advice about prevention.

As part of wider plans to deliver rapid diagnostic and assessment pathways, through access to NHS England transformation funding, local cancer alliances are setting up more multidisciplinary diagnostic centres across the country.

The concept for a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre originated in Denmark, and was developed in response to the issue of patients presenting with vague symptoms being referred for multiple tests, when they required an urgent diagnosis.

Vague symptoms may include unexplained weight loss, appetite loss, abdominal discomfort or pain, fatigue, sweats of unexplained aetiology and general malaise.

These symptoms or combinations of symptoms can be indicative of a number of diseases including various cancers.

The pilots make up the Accelerate, Co-ordinate and Evaluate (ACE 2) Early Diagnosis Programme, a joint initiative by NHS England, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan.