Specialised cancer services shake-up in Greater Manchester

The region’s transformation unit has confirmed plans to reduce the number of surgical centres for oesophago-gastric and urology cancers.

There are three OG surgery sites and five that provide urology cancer surgery.

A report to the Greater Manchester joint health scrutiny committee last week said: “Currently, specialised services for OG and urological cancers that are provided within Greater Manchester do not comply with current national standards and guidance.

“Minimum populations and surgical volumes set out in the existing national standards have not been reached. In addition, in the intervening period since the current national standards were written, research evidence has led to a clinical consensus that more challenging standards are required to achieve world class outcomes.”

NHS England previously announced plans to consolidate the services on two sites, but this failed to achieve a consensus. Greater Manchester leaders will have more say over the commissioning of specialised services from April, under the devolution agenda.

There will be an engagement process around the changes, but not a public consultation. The aim is to create a “single service” across Greater Manchester by the summer.

According to the report, University Hospital of South Manchester Foundation Trust and Salford Royal Hospitals FT are “non-compliant” with the current standards for urology surgery. Stockport FT, Central Manchester University Hospitals FT and The Christie FT are compliant, with Stockport performing the most procedures.

For OG surgery, Salford is compliant hospital and performs more than half the procedures. Central Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester are non-compliant.

The process means more services could be withdrawn from Wythenshawe Hospital, run by UHSM, which is already set to lose emergency and high risk surgery under the Healthier Together programme.