Sheffield Teaching Hospital has strengthened its urgent suspected cancer (USC) dermatology pathway by combining improved referral quality with rapid access to additional consultant expertise. Since December 2024, more than 10,800 USC referrals have been reviewed, helping the Trust increase triage capacity whilst reducing pressure on local dermatology teams.
The Challenge
The pathway faced two significant issues:
- Many referrals arrived with poor-quality or no imagery, limiting clinical decision-making.
- Limited consultant capacity made it difficult to review referrals quickly, contributing to growing waiting lists.
Together, these challenges delayed decision-making and increased pressure across primary and secondary care.
The Solution
48-hour expert review
Every USC referral is now assessed within 48 hours, utilising the clinical expertise of remote NHS consultant dermatologists on the National Consultant Network (NCN). By providing additional specialist capacity remotely, the NCN enables referrals to be triaged quickly without increasing demands on the Trust’s existing workforce.
Better quality referrals
GPs can submit dermatoscopic photos with referrals, or patients can attend an imaging hub. Improved imagery supports more confident clinical decision-making and more effective referral management.
Simple for GPs
The pathway uses existing e-RS processes, meaning no retraining and minimal change for primary care.
Impact
The optimised pathway is delivering measurable operational benefits:
- More than 10,800 USC referrals reviewed since December 2024
- Every referral reviewed within 48 hours, supporting faster clinical decision-making
- Additional consultant capacity provided through the NCN, freeing up local specialists to focus on direct patient care
- A clear correlation between higher-quality referral images and increased referrals avoided, supporting more efficient use of specialist services
What’s next
- Encourage greater use of imaging hubs where referral images are absent or of poor quality
- Explore rollout to Plastics and Routine Dermatology
- Use referral trends to target GP education and improve referral quality
- Expand imaging hub capacity to meet rising seasonal demands
If you have a question or would like to learn how Consultant Connect can support your NHS area, please contact us on 01865 951207 or email info@consultantconnect.org.uk.
