Transformation of the lung cancer pathway in the UK: an opportunity for innovation

In November, Newmarket Strategy hosted a roundtable discussion on the Transformation of the Lung Cancer Pathway in the NHS. This event brought together leading academics, clinicians, and industry partners, providing a platform for them to discuss issues with the lung cancer pathway and the potential of innovation to improve lung cancer outcomes, as well as areas upon which the NHS ought to focus its efforts. These include:

• Moving spending upstream
• Patient outreach, awareness and activation
• Addressing regional variation
• Embracing evidence-based innovations
• (Re)designing the lung cancer pathway
• Providing evidence to support reimbursement
• Spreading best practice

Based on these reflections, the paper also makes the following key recommendations:

1. Integrated Care Systems and NHS England should work on ways to share and spread best practice regionally and nationally for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. This could be done by pairing up cancer alliances with lower rates of responses to lung screening invitations with those with a higher to learn from best practice and drive uptake.
2. Integrated Care Systems – including relevant diagnostic networks – and NHS England should focus on developing innovative approaches to patient outreach for lung cancer detection, beyond pure ‘at-risk’ CT screening initiatives.
3. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence should publish further guidance and case studies to help innovators understand what good evidence looks like, particularly when it comes to establishing the health-economic case for reimbursement.
4. NHS England in conjunction with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence should establish clear evidence thresholds for medical and digital health technologies in lung cancer and reimbursement pathways for these technologies, with a particular focus on improving workforce productivity as well as patient outcomes.
5. The National Lung Cancer Screening Committee should explore how long-term changes to imaging reporting processes, which could maximise patient outcomes and support the existing workforce, should be safely integrated as part of the lung cancer pathway.

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