The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012

Duty to make arrangements to provide an appointment with a specialist for those patients urgently referred for treatment for suspected cancer

52.—(1) A relevant body must make arrangements to ensure that persons—

(a) for whom the relevant body has responsibility; and

(b) in respect of whom an urgent referral for suspected cancer is made by—

(i) a general medical practitioner or a person authorised to act on their behalf, or

(ii) a general dental practitioner or a person authorised to act on their behalf,

are provided with treatment for suspected cancer in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The requirement referred to in paragraph (1) is that at the end of each data collection period, treatment for suspected cancer has commenced within the period of 2 weeks beginning with the start date in not less than 93% of cases where that treatment is provided in that data collection period.

(3) Where—

(a) the person referred did not attend an appointment made by a health service provider in response to the urgent referral; and

(b) that person had not requested in advance of the appointment that the date for that appointment be rearranged,

the period of time described in paragraph (4) is to be excluded from the calculation of the period of 2 weeks beginning with the start date referred to in paragraph (2).

(4) The period of time to be excluded for the purposes of paragraph (3)—

(a) begins with the start date; and

(b) ends on the date on which the health service provider receives notification from the person who has been urgently referred that they are available again for an appointment for treatment for suspected cancer.

(5) In carrying out its duties under this regulation, a relevant body must have regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer dated June 2005(1).

(1)

The Guidelines can be found at www.nice.org.uk/CG027.