SPOTTING CANCER SOONER: HOW GPS ACROSS KENILWORTH AND WARWICK ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Early cancer diagnosis saves lives and a group of dedicated GPs in Warwickshire are proving just how powerful teamwork can be.
By coming together to share ideas, learn from each other and improve how they support patients, Kenilworth and Warwick Primary Care Network (PCN) is changing the way cancer is detected in their communities.
The group is putting patients first – from supporting local projects to make cancer referrals quicker and easier to helping people with learning disabilities – so everyone can be diagnosed sooner, treated faster and cared for better.
The situation and what we did
At Chase Meadow Health Centre in Warwick, Dr Neha Sharma and her colleagues have been guiding a local working group which includes a lead GP from each of the four other practices part of the PCN – Castle Medical Centre, Abbey Medical Centre, Avonside Health Centre and Priory Medical Centre.
Set up in 2019 the group includes GP leads, care coordinators and PCN management and wider support is offered from hospice staff, social prescribers and health and wellbeing champions for specific projects. Everyone works together to share ideas and improve how they care for patients who might have cancer.
Speaking about the group, Dr Sharma said: “We quickly saw the value of the group, and it’s been worth its weight in gold because it’s given us space to really listen, reflect, and learn from each other.”
Benefits for patients
The group puts patients at the centre of its work and has made several changes to spot cancer earlier and support patients better.
This includes:
- Bowel cancer testing – We follow up with patients to make sure screening kits are completed. This helps prevent delays, reduces the chance of missed diagnoses, and ensures patients get faster access to the right specialist care.
- Ovarian cancer checks – Blood tests are now offered earlier to women who may be at risk, even if symptoms are unclear.
- Prostate cancer awareness – Patients with a family history of prostate cancer are better informed about PSA tests and what they mean.
- Women’s health – Doctors have reviewed how they refer women with postmenopausal bleeding and created better tools to assess risk.
- Cervical screening support – Extra help is now available for patients with learning disabilities or who don’t speak English as a first language. A dedicated online hub provides easy to use resources for patients, including posters, leaflets, easy read guides, and videos.
This work has meant that patients are better supported, and ongoing or unclear cancer symptoms are being identified and referred for more specialised hospital treatment more promptly – meaning patients are receiving the essential care they need, quicker.
What’s next?
The group is continuing to improve care, especially for women’s health and cancer screening.
Here’s what they’re focusing on now:
- Reviewing bleeding and HRT cases: Making sure women with postmenopausal bleeding or on hormone therapy are checked and referred properly.
- Better access for all: The team has been working with the PCN’s Health Inequalities Lead to collate and enhance cancer screening materials for patients with learning disabilities and those who are blind or visually impaired – ensuring resources are accessible, inclusive, and tailored to diverse needs.
- Boosting breast screening: Encouraging more women to attend breast screening appointments. Around 70% of eligible women are going, but some areas need extra support. Practices are reaching out directly and promoting the service more widely.
