Working with the Trust’s clinical colleagues, the Montagu CDC service have developed a pathway to support imaging for suspected skin cancer patients.
The pathway will provide dedicated skin imaging for suspected skin cancer patients within 48 hours of a GP referral.
Images are then triaged by a consultant Dermatologist from the Trust alongside the required the 2ww Pro-forma and a clinical decision made for the appropriate course of treatment.
The pathway aims to reduce wait times for patients on Skin Cancer pathways allowing them to be directed to treatment without delay.
How to refer a patient
The service is directly bookable via the Electronic referral service (ERS or Choose and Book) – description Urgent Suspected Cancer Dermatology Imaging Community Diagnostic Centre Montagu.
Please note: This is not available to children, please refer to Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
The existing method of referral will still be offered for patients who are unable to attend the Imaging service, however if this proves to be successful we hope to expand the service to offer this at all of our hospital sites.
What is the referral process?
Current pathway:
- Referral of patient
- Appointment given within 14 days
- Patient is offered an urgent or routine operation or directed to a specialty service eg: ENT, OMFS or surgery or discharged with no further intervention.
The new Skin Imaging service pathway:
- Referral of patient
- Appointment for images given within 48 hours.
- Consultant triage within an additional 48 hours
- Patient is directed to a specialty service eg: ENT, OMFS or surgery or discharged with no further intervention.
The new pathway offers the patient a significantly reduced outcome from referral date.
Please note:
For either referral processes, urgent minor ops are within two to four weeks and routine minor ops within six to eight weeks.
Any patients with a tattoo underlying a lesion are not appropriate for dermoscopy imaging, please refer via the normal skin service pathway.
Where is the Skin Imaging service?
The Skin Imaging service is based within the Montagu Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Montagu Hospital in Mexborough. Find out more about the Montagu CDC here.
Content out of date? Information wrong or not clear enough? Report this page.