A smokefree future: a comprehensive tobacco control strategy for England This new tobacco control strategy for England establishes a vision of eradicating tobacco harms and creating a smokefree future, so that we can support people to live healthier and longer lives. The strategy follows on from a successful public consultation in 2008 on the future of tobacco control, which drew nearly 100,000 individual responses. To deliver this vision, the strategy sets out three overarching objectives to make significant progress towards a smokefree society: 1. To stop the inflow of young people recruited as smokers. 2. To motivate and assist every smoker to quit. 3. To protect families and communities. Against each objective, we are setting an aspiration of what could be achieved by 2020, including halving the numbers of adult smokers to just one in ten, and reducing the number of children who take up smoking to negligible levels. Delivering these aspirations will maintain England’s position as a world leader in tobacco control but can only be achieved if all partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors continue to prioritise tobacco control and implement the evidence-based policies set out in this strategy. news item published here Monday 1st February 2010 National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI) vision The vision document provides an update on the first year of the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI), which was announced in the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) and formally launched in September 2008. The document describes the emerging vision for improved care and support for people living with and beyond cancer, and brings together the work of service users, carers, clinicians, commissioners, charities and researchers. The NCSI is a partnership between the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Support with support from NHS Improvement. news item published here Wednesday 20th January 2010 Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: December 2009 Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are: Emergency - no wait Urgent - 12 days Routine - 28 days Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer. Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries. These waiting times will be updated on a monthly basis and any changes will be posted here. news item published here Monday 11th January 2010 You are invited to a Radiotherapy Open Evening The aim of the Open Evening is to ease any worries you may have about your radiotherapy treatment. We will explain about: How radiotherapy works; Planning your treatment; Visit a CT simulator and radiotherapy machine. The visit will last about 1½ hours and will include refreshments. You will also have a chance to ask questions and meet some of the radiotherapy team. Many people have found this visit very helpful as they prepare for their radiotherapy. Open evenings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6.30pm. If you would like to attend please contact: Phil Mitchell, Information Co-ordinator on: 0113 206 7603 or email: philip.mitchell@leedsth.nhs.uk Unfortunately we are not able to provide hospital transport for open evenings. news item published here 22 December 2009 Diagnosing Cancer Earlier: Evidence for a National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative The BJC supplement, ‘Diagnosing Cancer Earlier: Evidence for a National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative’, brings together evidence underpinning NAEDI, including some of the work presented at the launch conference in November 2008. Further details at http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v101/n2s/index.html For more information about NAEDI, please visit http://www.naedi.org.uk/ news item published here Thursday 10 December 2009 Cancer Reform Strategy - 2nd Annual Report In the second annual report of the Cancer Reform Strategy, Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, sets out the progress made in implementing the strategy since its publication in December 2007. As with the first annual report, this report covers a wide range of actions that were set out in the strategy, highlighting areas of particular progress and setting out a range of priorities for the future. This report also provides detailed information on meeting local progress, especially regarding standards which should now have been met. news item published here Tuesday 1st December 2009 Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: October 2009 Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are: Emergency - no wait Urgent - average of 15 days Routine - average of 28 days Overall Average - 14 days Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer. Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries. These waiting times will be updated on a monthly basis and any changes will be posted here. news item published here Wednesday 8th July 2009 MDT Development Survey - Report of Findings A report summarising the views on MDT working of over 2000 members of cancer multidisciplinary teams has been published. It is available here MDT Development Survey - Report of Findings The findings will inform a programme of work by NCAT to support MDT development including the production of an MDT toolkit and a DVD on MDT working plus piloting different approaches to self assessment, feedback and support for MDTs. news item published here Thursday 29 October, 2009 Chemotherapy Services in England: Ensuring quality and safety The final report from the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group takes account of the responses received during the consultation period. The report aims to bring about a step change in the quality and safety of chemotherapy services for adult patients with either solid cancers or haematological malignancies and many of the recommendations are applicable in the care of children and young people. It highlights the need to improve both elective chemotherapy services and acute oncology services. The Department of Health welcomes the recommendations set out in this report. Download Chemotherapy Services in England: Ensuring quality and safety (PDF, 1587K) Download Impact Assessment (PDF, 856K) Download Equality Impact Assessment (PDF, 72K news item published here Friday 21st August 2009 Revised Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme materials In March 2009, new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed for the first time that screening for prostate cancer could save lives, although overtreatment remains an issue. In light of this research, the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) has revised its resource pack for primary care to help advise men without any symptoms of prostate cancer, who are considering a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. Men can have the test free on the NHS, provided they have made an informed choice based on the PCRMP materials and following a GP consultation. The revised packs will be distributed to GPs over the summer. Letter from Chief Medical Officer Prostate Cancer Risk Management: UK Information Pack news item published here Wednesday 29th July 2009 Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: June 2009 Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are: Emergency - no wait Urgent - average of 9 days Routine - average of 21 days Overall Average - 10 days Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer. Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries. These waiting times will be updated on a monthly basis and any changes will be posted here. news item published here Wednesday 8th July 2009 NICE Early and Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Guidelines The advice in this guideline covers: some of the tests and treatments that patients with early and locally advanced breast cancer should be offered, in particular: reducing the amount of surgery under your arm breast reconstruction when breast conservation is not possible chemotherapy and endocrine treatments biological treatments It does not specifically look at: the care of patients with advanced breast cancer or those with rare or non-cancerous tumours of the breast the care of people who do not have breast cancer themselves but have a family history of the disease. NICE has produced separate advice for the care of patients with advanced breast cancer and people who have a family history of the disease. news item published here Monday 2 March 2009 NICE Advanced Breast Cancer Guidelines This guidance updates and replaces NICE technology appraisal guidance 63 (published May 2003), 54 (published December 2002) and 30 (published September 2001). The advice in the NICE guideline describes the tests, treatment, care and support that patients with advanced breast cancer should be offered. It does not specifically describe the care of patients with early breast cancer or those with rare or non-cancerous tumours of the breast. news item published here Monday 2 March 2009 Cancer patients urged to apply for free prescriptions from today People being treated for cancer will be eligible for free prescriptions from 1st April and can apply for free prescriptions from today (20-01-2009). The new scheme, announced by the Prime Minister in September last year, abolishes NHS prescription charges for everyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment. Up to 150,000 patients already diagnosed with cancer are expected to benefit, and may save £100 each year in prescription charges. All cancer patients are entitled to apply for a 5-year exemption certificate, which will entitle them to all their NHS prescriptions free of charge, not just those relating to cancer. The certificate can be renewed as many times as necessary and will not have to be returned if the patient's condition changes. Application forms can be collected from GP surgeries and oncology clinics from today and must be countersigned by the patient's GP, hospital doctor or service doctor. Applications received by 24th March will be processed in time to be used for 1st April. Patients who do not receive for their certificate in time may have any prescription charges they have paid since the 1st April refunded. news item published here Wednesday 21 January 2009 NYCRIS PCT Factsheets NYCRIS are pleased to announce the publication of a set of PCT Factsheets (2002-2006), which cover all PCTs which constitute the Yorkshire, Humber and Yorkshire Coast, and North of England Cancer Networks - Dec 2008. Aimed at providing the most up to date information for local stakeholders, the factsheets also help contribute to implementation of the Cancer Reform Strategy, of which, collection, analysis and publication of high quality data are key drivers. news item published here Wednesday 14 January 2009 Leeds Radiotherapy Waiting Times: December 2008 Current waiting times for radiotherapy in Leeds are: Emergency - no wait Urgent - average of 9 days Routine - average of 24 days Overall Average - 14 days Occasionally due to the complexity of treatment planning the wait may be slightly longer. Please contact the radiotherapy department on 0113 2068940 if you have any waiting time queries. These waiting times will be updated on a monthly basis and any changes will be posted here. news item published here Tuesday 6 January 2009 Yorkshire Cancer Network - Annual Report 2007/8 The Network annual report for 2007/8 has been published. news item published here Wednesday 24th December 2008 Peer Review: Evidence Guides published The evidence guides to support peer review have been published for Gynaecology, Upper GI, Breast, Urology, Skin and Lung. news item published here Tuesday 23 December 2008 Peer Review: New Rehabilitation Measures Published The Department of Health has published the final Rehabilitation peer review measures. news item published here Thursday 18 December 2008 YCN Going Further on Cancer Waits - Quick Guides The Yorkshire Cancer Network has published and circulated two quick guides to support the implementation of the new Going Further on Cancer Waits standards which are being implemented from January 2009. The first guide is specifically for Primary Care and highlights the new standards and the revised responsibilities for GPs and PCTs in the collection of cancer waiting times. YCN Going Further on Cancer Waits - A Quick Guide for Primary Care The second guide has been written for MDTs and highlights the new standards and the two major changes in the collection of cancer waiting times. The introduction of the Consultant Upgrade and the removal of waiting time adjustments. YCN Going Further on Cancer Waits - A Quick Guide for MDTs news item published here Tuesday 11th November 2008