CEO Update Monday 15 June 2015
Faster Cancer Treatment I’m almost certain cancer will have affected most of us in one way or another – whether directly or indirectly. It is the country’s leading cause of death (30 percent) and a major cause of hospitalisation. This is only expected to grow – mostly due to lifestyle factors affecting our health leading to obesity, which causes heart disease, diabetes and is increasingly linked to cancer. As demand for prompt, effective treatment and care climbs, so does the need to improve the quality and timeliness of services for patients along the cancer pathway. However, before I go into what we’re doing to ensure that happens, I just want to highlight the importance of looking after ourselves, not only for our general well-being but also as a preventative measure against disease. Exercise is crucial to helping us feel better but so is eating well. Often we’re too busy and we don’t always stop to think about what we’re eating. We grab that pie or cake and wolf it down because we’ve been rushing all day and are now starving - I know I’m guilty of that. But just a little bit of thought and preparation can go a long way towards improving your diet and overall general health, and decrease your risk of disease. You may like to sign up to Junk Free June to kick off a more conscious effort towards improving your eating habits. The benefits of whole foods have been regularly linked with helping people prevent and fight disease but of course, when that isn’t enough, medical
interventions will be required and our staff are some of the best at providing the care needed. Spotlight on: Faster Cancer Treatment I want to congratulate staff for their efforts towards ensuring the best for our patients through the Faster Cancer Treatment programme. It is one of our five key themes and focuses on improving cancer diagnostic and treatment services. It’s designed to reduce waiting times for appointments, tests and treatment and standardise care pathways for cancer patients wherever they live. It links with a whole range of initiatives designed to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and support for patients and their families. Canterbury DHB has been working with other DHBs in the Southern Cancer Network and together we have developed agreement on a joint set of project proposals including improving the way we work in primary health, laboratories and radiology. The Faster Cancer Treatment programme works towards reduced resource wastage; decreased avoidable mortality and decreased wait times. It ties in closely with the 100 Days and Theatre Utilisation themes, which all need to be working effectively to ensure they are achieved. To help us understand what we’re doing differently, let’s take a closer look from a
patient’s perspective. Our hypothetical patient John is concerned about a possibly cancerous lump. Before John’s General Practitioner would have referred him to the General Surgery department. His referral would be triaged as urgent and he would be placed on the outpatient waiting list for a new patient appointment. At his new patient appointment, further tests would be ordered. When tests confirmed John had a bowel cancer, he would then be referred to the Oncology department where he was considered for both radiation therapy and chemotherapy alongside surgery. John had a further consultation where he could discuss the range of treatment options available. Each time John was referred to a new service the wait times would be reset to 0, but of course for John it was all a continuation of the same journey. As John moved from service to service he received support within each department but no one person was responsible for supporting him along his journey Now John’s General Practitioner has a new option of indicating if he considers John’s condition as “Highly Suspicious of Cancer” on his referral. In John’s case the triaging consultant agrees. ›› Article continues on page 2
In this issue »» All Right? app designed to improve mental health and wellbeing in Canterbury...page 2.
»» Monday’s facilities fast facts...page 3.
»» Sign up now for Dry July...page 6.
»» Team SI PICS cook up a storm in aid of charity...page 5.
»» ISG Support and Training Team...page 12.
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