Publications
• A community-based non-specific symptom clinic: CT use and Diagnostic Yield. Dr Clare Price (ST5 radiologist, NNUH), Dr Philips Vickers (ST2 Radiologist, NNUH), Dr Kate Slapp (Lead General Practitioner, North Norfolk Primary Care Rapid Diagnostic Service), Dr Stuart Williams (Consultant Radiologist, NNUH). Overview: The NHS Cancer Programme’s Faster Diagnosis Framework 1 aims to deliver earlier diagnosis for patients. One facet of this framework is the expansion of Non-Specific Symptom Pathways/Services General practitioners can refer patients who present with non-specific symptoms such as unexplained weight-loss, fatigue or nausea; symptoms which do not meet criteria for tumour specific cancer pathways 2 . The North Norfolk Primary Care Rapid Diagnostic Service 3 (NNPC RDS) is one such service, providing care to patients within Norfolk and Waveney. We set out to assess the use and diagnostic yield of computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients referred to this service. Demographics, CT imaging requests and reports pertaining to all patients referred to NNPC RDS during 2022 were evaluated 486 patients were referred to NNPC RDS during 2022, 279 (57%) of whom were referred for CT-imaging 27 (10%) patients undergoing CT-imaging had radiological features in keeping with a malignant diagnosis; the most common findings were lymphoproliferative disorders, pancreatic and lung tumours 75 patients undergoing CT-imaging had a significant non- cancer diagnosis 74 patients were diagnosed with an indeterminate finding. The majority of patients referred to NNPC RDS during 2022 had CT-imaging. The burden of incidental findings arising from radiological imaging is well recognised. Exposure to ionising radiation must be carefully considered in each case, particularly with regard to patient age. However, the proportion of patients referred with non-specific symptoms who were found to have clinically significant malignant and non-malignant findings supports use of CT-imaging within Primary Care Rapid Diagnostic Pathways. 1 B1332-NHS-Cancer-Programme-Faster-Diagnosis-Framework-v5pdf (englandnhsuk) 2 Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (niceorguk) 3 Rapid Diagnostic Service – NNPC • PPI and Scoping Review about GP services offered at Front door of A&E: Q&A with Dr Paul Everden, North Norfolk Primary Care | UEA Health & Social Care Partners (ueahscpcom) Overview: We wanted to evaluate the potential benefits of GPFD service in several ways. First, we analysed the service activity, how many patients, what times of day do they present, how does their age, sex or deprivation description compare to people using regular Emergency Department (ED)
North Norfolk Primary Care - Quality Account 2023/24
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