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Introduction to WCA Local Improvement Scheme 2026/27
Wessex Cancer Alliance
Overview
This video outlines the Wessex Cancer Alliance (WCA) Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) for 2026/27, focusing on prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. It highlights achievements from the previous year, including high engagement with educational webinars on alcohol and COPD/lung cancer links, and successful primary care audits for colorectal and urology cancers. The scheme for the upcoming year will concentrate on bowel cancer, aiming to increase screening uptake, improve referral quality, and promote physical activity as a cancer prevention strategy. The presentation details specific requirements for cancer champions and practices, emphasizing communication, education, and data collection to improve patient outcomes.
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Chapters
- The WCA Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) achieved significant engagement with webinars on alcohol identification and brief advice, reaching over 2,300 views and demonstrating an 80% likelihood of practitioners using the advice.
- Primary care audits for colorectal and urology cancers provided valuable insights from over 1,000 and 400 reviewed cases, respectively, informing future plans.
- A focus on COPD and lung cancer led to a rise in 'red flag' code usage from 6% to 16% during COPD reviews, equating to over 2,600 extra codes.
- The primary care conference successfully brought together numerous cancer champions and stakeholders to support the alliance's work.
Understanding past successes demonstrates the impact of collective efforts and provides a foundation for the current year's initiatives, motivating participants by showcasing tangible results.
The increase in 'red flag' codes used during COPD reviews from 6% to 16% directly illustrates a measurable improvement in identifying potential lung cancer symptoms.
- The LIS 2026/27 will prioritize bowel cancer due to its prevalence and high potential for improved outcomes through earlier diagnosis.
- Key requirements include strengthening cancer leadership within Primary Care Networks (PCNs) through named clinical and non-clinical champions.
- Improving awareness, increasing bowel cancer screening uptake, and enhancing the quality of lower gastrointestinal (LGI) referrals are central goals.
- The scheme will leverage existing tools like screening programs and FIT-based pathways, incorporating lessons from recent audits and pilot programs.
Focusing on bowel cancer is crucial because it is common, and early detection significantly improves survival rates, making it a high-impact area for primary care intervention.
The scheme aims to reduce emergency presentations of colorectal cancer and ultimately improve patient outcomes by promoting earlier diagnosis through screening and improved referral pathways.
- Named clinical and non-clinical cancer champions serve as vital points of contact for disseminating key updates and information within primary care.
- The primary care newsletter, sent bimonthly, includes clinical updates, LIS news, and educational opportunities, with summaries and audio versions for accessibility.
- Regional 'Communities of Practice' (CoPs) offer virtual, unrecorded one-hour meetings for discussing current cancer topics, new guidance, audit findings, and practical issues, open to all interested colleagues.
- A planned webinar series will focus on rarer cancers, and the Wessex Cancer Academy hosts a comprehensive primary care education resource, including national and local webinars and guidance.
Effective communication and leadership are essential for ensuring that vital information about cancer prevention and diagnosis reaches all relevant healthcare professionals and is acted upon.
The bimonthly newsletter automatically includes summaries and audio versions to ensure busy clinicians can easily access important updates on cancer care.
- A dedicated bowel cancer screening campaign will be launched, supported by a communications toolkit available on the Wessex Cancer Alliance website.
- Campaign assets include artwork with two main themes: a 'toilet roll' message highlighting the small sample size needed and a 'football' theme tied to the World Cup.
- The campaign aims to address misconceptions about the FIT test, such as the sample size and hygiene concerns, emphasizing early detection and prevention.
- Various assets are available, including social media images, posters, display screens, and videos featuring local personalities, with options for personalization.
Targeted communication campaigns are vital for increasing public awareness and participation in screening programs, directly contributing to earlier cancer detection.
The campaign uses artwork featuring a toilet roll with the caption 'just a tiny bit of poo could be lifesaving' to demystify the screening process and encourage participation.
- The scheme requires practices to improve the quality and appropriateness of urgent lower GI cancer referrals to reduce pressure on secondary care.
- Cancer champions will deliver teaching within their PCNs on bowel education and referral pathways, supported by resources from an hour-long webinar.
- Practices are asked to review a minimum of five random LGI referrals to discuss their quality and identify areas for improvement during teaching sessions.
- A webinar on July 8th will provide essential information, including guidance on FIT testing and alternative referral routes, with resources and example referral forms provided.
Optimizing referral quality ensures patients are directed to the correct services efficiently, improving diagnostic timelines and patient experience while supporting secondary care capacity.
Practices will review sample referrals to identify what information is most helpful for secondary care, leading to more effective and targeted referrals.
- The LIS requires practices to identify bowel screening non-responders and target them with interventions to increase uptake.
- Interventions include sending bulk text message reminders to all non-responders and conducting telephone follow-ups for those aged 50-59, a group with historically lower uptake.
- Practices will run searches to identify non-responders for April 2025-March 2026 and subsequently target the 50-59 age group for phone calls.
- Additional promotional activities are encouraged, with suggestions including pop-up alerts, using translated resources, and incorporating reminders into health checks.
Proactive interventions are necessary to address disparities in screening uptake, particularly among younger demographics and specific patient groups, to maximize the benefits of the screening program.
Practices will send text reminders to all bowel screening non-responders and then follow up by phone with those aged 50-59 who still haven't responded.
- Promoting physical activity is included in the LIS as a key cancer prevention intervention, benefiting both general health and outcomes for cancer patients.
- Clinicians are asked to share a 16-minute bite-sized video on physical activity with colleagues and encourage them to watch it and complete a short survey.
- Practices are encouraged to identify opportunities to increase physical activity within their patient populations, with resources like the RCGP Active Practice Charter available.
- Reporting will include survey responses, an estimate of clinician reach, and a case study detailing how practices have promoted physical activity.
Integrating physical activity promotion into primary care is a cost-effective strategy for reducing cancer risk, managing obesity, and improving the overall well-being of patients.
The scheme encourages practices to share a short video with clinicians about the importance of physical activity and its role in cancer prevention.
Key takeaways
- Collective efforts in primary care, facilitated by initiatives like the WCA LIS, can lead to significant improvements in cancer prevention and early diagnosis.
- Bowel cancer is a key focus for this LIS due to its prevalence and the high potential for improved survival through early detection via screening and timely referrals.
- Effective communication channels, including newsletters and 'Communities of Practice', are crucial for disseminating vital information and fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals.
- Targeted communication campaigns, utilizing diverse assets and addressing public misconceptions, are essential for boosting participation in bowel cancer screening.
- Improving the quality of LGI referrals and providing targeted education to primary care teams can streamline patient pathways and enhance diagnostic accuracy.
- Proactive interventions, such as text reminders and phone calls, are vital for increasing bowel screening uptake, especially in lower-uptake demographics like the 50-59 age group.
- Promoting physical activity is a critical, yet often overlooked, cancer prevention strategy that primary care clinicians can integrate into routine patient interactions.
Key terms
Wessex Cancer Alliance (WCA)Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)Cancer ChampionsPrimary Care Network (PCN)Lower GI Cancer ReferralFIT TestBowel Cancer ScreeningCommunities of Practice (CoP)Red Flag CodesPhysical Activity Promotion
Test your understanding
- What are the primary objectives of the WCA Local Improvement Scheme for 2026/27, and why has bowel cancer been chosen as a key focus?
- How do the 'Communities of Practice' and the primary care newsletter support the dissemination of information and collaboration among cancer champions and clinicians?
- Describe the key components of the bowel cancer screening campaign and the strategies used to address common misconceptions about the FIT test.
- What steps are required of practices to improve the quality of lower GI cancer referrals, and what support is provided for this initiative?
- How does the LIS aim to increase bowel cancer screening uptake, particularly among the 50-59 age group, and what are the proposed interventions?