Information for Patients – 2ww letters/ leaflets

12th December 2018

As clinicians, we will all have made suspected cancer referrals and appreciate the need for timely investigation. However, feedback from secondary care suggests that not all patients referred down a suspected cancer route are aware of this and are therefore unprepared for the need for short notice appointments, investigations and the potential for bad news. This can impact on DNA rates, cause delays to patient pathways and increase patient’s distress if given bad news that they are totally unprepared for.

It has been shown that given written information to patients at the time of referral, reduces DNA rates and ensures patients are better prepared. A personalised letter has been developed, which practices may like to use – this can be accessed from within EMIS, using “create letter” from within documents and selecting “2WW Guidance for Patient” – this self populates with patient name and practice details.