Partnering for progress: Developing the first ever timed pathway for blood cancer diagnosis

Myeloma UK are delighted to share that in partnership with Leukaemia UK and Lymphoma Action, we will be working with the NHS England Cancer Programme team to develop a Best Practice Timed Pathway (BPTP) for the blood cancers myeloma, lymphoma and leukaemia.

Sarah Galley, our Senior Innovation and Implementation Officer explains what BPTPs are and why we think they are so important for improving the time it takes to diagnose myeloma (known as time to diagnosis).

What is a BPTP?

BPTPs are an NHS England initiative, and can reduce time to cancer diagnosis, streamline patient care and reduce variation in practice.

Each BPTP offers clinical teams and hospital managers a timed, day-by-day framework for the optimal sequence and timing of investigations for patients when they are urgently referred with suspected cancer.

Each BPTP is designed to support hospitals in meeting the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) – a target set by NHS England to reduce the time between referral and diagnosis.

In addition to other published guidelines which already outline what should be done in the diagnostic process, BPTPs focus on when each step of the pathway should occur. This makes them a powerful tool for clinical teams and service managers in achieving the goals of a timely and accurate diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment for patients.

Although there are currently 10 BPTPs for other cancer types, none exist for blood cancers like myeloma.

What are the benefits of a BPTP?

Diagnosing blood cancers like myeloma is inherently complex, with non-specific symptoms often leading to multiple investigations and delay.

Despite this, haematology teams currently lack the support of standardised, structured and time-sensitive pathways to streamline and optimise the diagnostic process.

We believe that the introduction of a myeloma, lymphoma and leukaemia BPTP will support healthcare teams and patients by:

• Reducing the time to diagnosis and support achievement of the 28-day faster diagnosis standard.
• Reducing the time between referral and treatment.
• Highlighting resource bottlenecks, such as timely access to appropriate imaging, and provide the evidence needed to optimise associated funding requests and business cases.
• Embedding best practice by aligning the BPTP structured framework with existing guidelines.
• Standardising and improving patient care at local, regional and national levels.

Ultimately, this could mean earlier diagnosis and faster access to the best treatments for people living with myeloma. That’s why we think it’s so important.

What is Myeloma UK doing and why?

Myeloma UK have been campaigning for a number of years for the development of a BPTP for blood cancers. We called for one in our ‘A life worth living report’ and we have been meeting with and talking to policy makers and officials in the NHS and government about the importance of a BPTP for blood cancers.

Now, in partnership with Lymphoma Action and Leukaemia UK, Myeloma UK are bringing together a group of clinical experts and people with lived experience to inform and develop the BPTP framework and guidelines.

We know that whilst BPTPs will help to improve times to diagnosis for myeloma patients, they are just one part of the puzzle. One of the biggest challenges remains ensuring that GPs suspect myeloma in the first place. That’s why we are continuing our work with GPs and other primary care professionals, providing education and resources to raise awareness of the symptoms of myeloma and its related conditions.

You can help your colleagues spot the warning signs of myeloma by sharing our symptom translator with them today.

Who is involved in the development of the pathway?

Multiple stakeholders including healthcare professionals and people with lived experience make up a Task and Finish Group. Members of the group include:

• Clinical haematologists and haematology specialist nurses.
• GPs and primary care teams.
• Radiologists and pathologists.
• People with lived experience of blood cancer.
• National and regional cancer policy and health improvement experts across the NHS.
• Myeloma UK, Leukaemia UK and Lymphoma Action.

Together, they will shape the design of the pathway, ensuring it is practical, fit for purpose and patient-centred.

We look forward to working with the blood cancer community and the NHS England Cancer Programme team to make this much-needed BPTP a reality.

However, we need to go further and faster, so we will not stop there. We will make sure that this pathway is implemented across England to ensure myeloma patients have the best experience and outcomes possible.

FAQs

Are there Best Practice Timed Pathways in the devolved nations?

Similar initiatives to NHS England’s BPTP exist. In Wales there are ‘national optimal pathways’ for cancer whilst in Scotland, ‘optimal cancer diagnostic pathways’ have been developed. However, no similar initiatives have been developed specifically for blood cancers in the devolved nations.

We know it’s essential that healthcare teams across the UK are supported in delivering the best possible care to myeloma patients, so we will be advocating for such pathways to be adapted across all the devolved nations.