Abstract
The UK has the highest worldwide incidence of mesothelioma, with approximately 2,700 new diagnoses per year. Rapid access to appropriate diagnostics, treatment, information and support are important to patients and carers. This audit, funded by Mesothelioma UK, was commissioned to obtain an accurate and up-to-date picture of mesothelioma multidisciplinary team (MDT) services across the UK, and to identify any variation in access to specialist services and treatments for mesothelioma patients. All known MDTs (174) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were invited to take part in the audit, of which 125 (72%) MDTs actively participated in the study. Variation was identified across all participating MDTs in the access to services offered to mesothelioma patients. Overall, 17 MDTs self-identified as providing specialist mesothelioma services, managing over 25 new cases per year. Comparing service provision across all participating MDTs, patients who were referred to one of the 17 specialist mesothelioma MDTs appeared more likely to benefit from access to a mesothelioma-specific clinical nurse specialist 53% (9/17) vs 14% (18/125) and on-site access to mesothelioma clinical trials 88% (15/17) vs 33% (40/121).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | London UK |
| Publisher | Royal College of Physicians |
| Commissioning body | Mesothelioma UK |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Edition | 2019 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781860167928 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781860167911 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |