Cancer Board Terms of Reference

The role of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Cancer Board is to:

• oversee the delivery of cancer services across the Trust;
• ensure sustainable delivery of all cancer performance indicators;
• review and challenge all cancer recovery plans, responses to peer review findings, national cancer patients experience survey findings and national specification compliance;
• review strategy/future development to include ensuring plans are in place that respond to local /national drivers and intelligence;
• oversee and action quality, safety and governance risks as a result of cancer performance, cancer patient experience and peer review monitoring.

Purpose of the Cancer Board:

The main purpose of the Cancer Board is to facilitate the delivery of high quality care to cancer patients including compliance with waiting times targets and compliance with NICE standards, NHS England specialist commissioning and external peer review, improving outcomes guidance and peer review.

Additionally the Board will facilitate the delivery of improvement in the reported findings of the cancer patient experience survey year on year.

To do this the group will:

• share information and good practice;
  • identify and oversee the implementation of service developments;
  • improve the delivery of cancer services across all Clinical Support Unit’s as identified within the cancer strategy;
  • monitor cancer performance and review overarching themes from monthly performance analysis including breach report analysis and action plans;
  • ensure that appropriate timed pathways for each tumour group are reviewed and agreed, embedded in practice and monitored for compliance, including radiology and pathology response times;
  • develop a clear escalation policy by the cancer team to the Cancer Board, which will report to the Executive Board;
  • monitor NICE, peer review/specialist commissioning compliance and ensure that responsibility is assigned and subsequent action is taken to address any areas of concern;
  •  provide executive support for new initiatives;
  • monitor performance in relation to the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey and ensure responsibility is assigned and subsequent action is taken to address any areas of concern;
  • assign responsibility and monitor action plans to achieve each of the above and highlight and take remedial action for any issues that compromises the delivery of any agreed action plans;
  • help raise the profile of cancer at CSU level across the trust - supporting ownership against national standards;
  • monitor effective service delivery to patients referred from associated cancer units (including timely referral);
  • to ratify new/existing policies.

The Cancer Board Membership

The membership of the Cancer Board consists of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Medical Director, Chief Nurse, Strategic Lead Clinician, Operational Lead Clinician, Lead Cancer Manager, Lead Cancer Nurse, the Clinical Service Units Leads and the Operational Leads.