Lower Gastrointestinal Support Service (LGISS) – Supporting the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QEH), and the James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (JPUH) The Lower GI Support service was introduced initially as a three-month pilot in May 2022, and over this time had been de-commissioned, then recommissioned throughout 2022-2024. Over this time, it expanded from supporting the NNUH, to including all three acute Trusts in a recommissioned service from May 2024 to March 2025. This service was originally commissioned by the Cancer Alliance, and then by Norfolk & Waveney ICB on behalf of the 3 acute Trusts in the region. The aim of the service was to reduce waiting times for patients with a high risk of colorectal cancer by working with the Lower Gastro Intestinal (GI) Teams at the Trusts to stream suitable Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) negative patients into a primary care-led rapid diagnostic service. Symptomatic patients could then receive expert review and relevant diagnostic tests through specialist primary care triage, whilst increasing capacity within secondary care for managing those higher risk patients on a 2 week wait cancer pathway. In the 11-month period from May 2024 until March 2025 802 patients were taken off the 2 week wait Lower GI pathways of the NNUH, JPUH and QEH. This allowed a timelier response for those higher risk patients who met the 2ww criteria, thus easing capacity pressures for three hospitals 2 ww Lower GI departments. The service was showcased as best practice at regional cancer alliance events throughout the year. None of those 802 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but 4 of them were diagnosed with other forms of cancer (2x Pancreatic, Oesophageal, and Lung), which may not have been diagnosed had they not been redirected to our service. The Lower GI Support Service was decommissioned on 31 st March 2025, with the continuation of the 2ww Lower GI referral work being carried out by the Acute Trusts without prior triage by a specialist Primary Care led service. The patient feedback results for this service over this period was that 93% of patients said that their appointment was ‘Very Good’ or ‘Good’ with a 100% Family and Friends recommendation.
Norfolk Primary Care - Quality Account 2024/25
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