What is the Yorkshire Cancer Network? The Yorkshire Cancer Network was established in 1996 to support and promote the implementation of improvements in cancer care within the West and North Yorkshire areas covered by the network and developing strategies to deliver the NHS Cancer Plan that enables local flexibility and work out the most effective way to tackle problems within the Network area. The aim of the Yorkshire Cancer Network is to reduce the incidence of cancer while maximising the survival opportunities of cancer patients and enhance the quality of life for all patients and their families at all stages of the patient pathway. The Network aims to improve the patient experience and process of cancer services and to achieve equitable high quality service provision focused on the needs of patients and carers. Cancer Networks are the organisational model for cancer services to implement the Cancer Plan with responsibility to develop an annual Strategic Service Delivery Plan, which is underpinned by workforce, education & training and facilities strategies. The objectives of the Network are to ensure that all commissioners and providers of cancer care, the voluntary sector and local authorities within the network work effectively together to deliver high quality care. The Network covers a population of approximately 2.6 million within the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority What are Cancer Networks? The Expert Advisory Group on Cancer was set up in 1993 and issued the Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services in 1995 (Calman Hine). The Framework introduced the need to develop Cancer Networks reaching from Primary Care through Cancer Units and Cancer Centres to monitor the effectiveness of the changes resulting from the recommendations in improving patient care. In September 2000 The NHS Cancer Plan was published and within the plan the Cancer Network responsibilities were identified. The Manual of Cancer Services Standards published in April 2001 outlined the structure of the Networks. Improving Outcomes Guidance identifies MDT requirements and the MDT is a significant part of the Manual of Cancer Services Standards approach. There are 34 Cancer Networks covering the whole of England. The NHS Cancer Plan : Three year progress report Maintaining the momentum In October 2003 the Department of Health published a report highlighting the progress made in implementing the NHS Cancer Plan. The full report can be accessed through this link Which NHS organisations are associated with the Network? Following the recent reorganisation of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) there are now 6 PCTs and 7 Hospital Trusts within the Network. These are: Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT Calderdale PCT Kirklees PCT Leeds PCT North Yorkshire and York PCT Wakefield District PCT The following Hospital Trusts provide Cancer Unit services: Airedale NHS Trust Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides both local services for the people of Leeds and is the Cancer Centre for the Yorkshire Cancer Network providing specialist cancer services. What is the Organisational Structure of the Yorkshire Cancer Network? The Network is managed by a Management Board who are accountable for ensuring that the Network meets its key responsibilities and objectives as defined within the Manual of Cancer Services Standards. The membership of the Management Board is shown in the Organisation Chart, as are the several other groups set up to lead and implement various national and local issues. [click the image for a full sized pdf of the organisational structure] Membership of the Board and Groups ensures representation of patients, carers, health professionals, managers and the organisations forming the Network to ensure involvement at a local level to identify, and meet, both local and national cancer priorities. The Network Executive Team consists of a Network Director (Professor Mark R Baker), a Medical Director (Mr Sean Duffy), a Nurse Director (Mrs June Toovey), a Lead Manager (Mr Barry Tinkler) and a Service Improvement Lead (Mrs Carol Ferguson). The key responsibilities of the team are identified in Appendix IV of the Manual of Cancer Services Standards. The two other key groups that make up the Yorkshire Cancer Network are: The Cancer Services Collaborative Improvement Partnership who carry out project work to improve the patient experience of cancer service by significantly improve the delivery of care for suspected or diagnosed cancer, to systematically spread change and provide a method of support for implementing the National Cancer Plan Targets. The Yorkshire Cancer Research Network who provide the NHS infrastructure to support randomised prospective trials of cancer treatment, improve the co-ordination of research, improve the speed of research, improve the integration of research and maintain and enhance the quality of research. What is the Yorkshire Cancer Network website for? The website provides information about local cancer services, and links to other organisations for further high-quality information. The work of the Site Specific and Service Strategy Groups will be updated on the website, which will also help us communicate with the members of the groups across the network. We welcome comments on the website, please contact us with any comments to help us improve the service to you.