We aim to deliver an effective and robust cancer performance and improvement management function across the ICS. The team collaborates closely with the SEL Cancer Alliance (SELCA), provider Trusts, primary care, and NHS England. The team focuses on the strategic, financial and operational aspects of the delivery of cancer performance standards and high-quality cancer pathways, including supporting the development and implementation of care transformation and oversight and assurance of delivery against plans. As such, the work programme is very broad, covering primary care, early diagnosis and screening, through to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, and all interdependent aspects of cancer care within South East London.

Recent achievements

The ICB Cancer team works in close partnership with SELCA and as such has aligned outputs, please see further details on the SELCA team here which also highlights some recent achievements within the sector for Cancer.

Managing Demand for Cancer Services

Since the pandemic, there have been significant changes in patterns of referrals for suspected cancers in South East London and the ability of services to manage this demand. This has a number of causes, from changes in when and how patients present to their GP in order to initiate a referral, to the impact of the pandemic on capacity within services, and the drive for the NHS to ‘catch-up’ on activity that was drastically reduced during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given this, it is more important than ever that our services are able to plan their capacity effectively to manage expected growth and ensure that patients are seen within expected waiting times.

To support this, the SEL ICB Cancer Team has produced a ‘Cancer Referral Demand Planning Tool’ which is now available online to all teams across all hospital sites and Trusts in South East London. This uses data and modelling approaches recommended and endorsed by NHS England to provide a single, system solution to support cancer referral demand planning. This has been used to support service developments, facilitate discussions on mutual aid between Trusts and provide equitable, evidence-based planning practices across SEL.

Further information

For further information please contact the Cancer team via email on:

News, stories and events

Celebrating Windrush Day

Saturday 22nd June marks Windrush Day – 76 years since the HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex. The arrival of the Windrush generation is closely linked to the NHS, which was created just two weeks after the Empire Windrush’s arrival. The Windrush generation, both then and today, has played a crucial role in […]

20 Jun 2024
Information on the Synnovis cyber attack

On 3 June, Synnovis, a pathology laboratory which processes blood tests on behalf of a number of NHS organisations, primarily in South East London, was the victim of a cyber attack. For the latest updates on this, please see this dedicated NHS England website. You can also see the latest impact statement here. The site […]

20 Jun 2024
Cervical screening saves lives

Bromley clinicians are urging residents to have their routine cervical cancer screening test as it could save their life.  75.9% of eligible patients have had their cervical screening in Bromley. A Bromley cervical cancer screening campaign is dedicated to breaking down the barriers that prevent the remaining 24.1% of people from getting screened. Dr Sophie […]

17 Jun 2024