Breast cancer: two month GP urgent referral to treatment

Number of patients treated within two months of urgent GP referral for suspected breast cancer divided by the number of patients treated with a diagnosis of breast cancer who were urgently referred by a GP

Rationale

The NHS Cancer Plan sets the ultimate goal that no patient should wait longer than two months from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to the beginning of treatment except for good clinical reasons. A series of staged milestones and targets have been set out between 2000 and 2005 including "a maximum two month wait from urgent GP referral to first treatment for breast cancer by 2002".

Thresholds

Legend
Band 1 - poor	Less than 95%
Band 2	-
Band 3	Greater than or equal to 95% and less than 100%
Band 4	-
Band 5 - good	Equal to 100%

Acute trusts that exhibited a small number of patients (fewer than 10 in the denominator of the indicator construction) have been given a 'Data not available' score for this indicator for the purposes of ratings. This does not penalise the trusts in question.

Data source and period

Cancer Waits Database (Financial Year 2004/05)

Construction

Numerator:
The number of patients treated for breast cancer within two months (62 days) of an urgent GP referral for suspected breast cancer.

Denominator:
The total number of patients treated for breast cancer following an urgent GP referral for suspected breast cancer.

Indicator:
The number of patients treated for breast cancer within two months (62 days) of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer divided by the total number of patients treated for breast cancer following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.

Expressed as a percentage.