GIRFT is getting started on a new workstream focusing on radiotherapy services, working towards a more consistent and sustainable approach to radiotherapy delivery and a reduction in patient waiting times.
The new GIRFT workstream supports delivery of NHS England’s ambition to achieve a national 85% target for 62-day cancer performance, specifically addressing delays in radiotherapy, which can be a constraint at the 31-day treatment stage of the pathway.
Earlier this year, Professor Tim Briggs, GIRFT programme lead and NHS England National Director for Clinical Improvement, Elective Recovery and UEC, met with ten providers to explore the causes behind 31-day breaches and ensure any future actions are informed by frontline insight. The meetings highlighted the need for a more consistent and sustainable approach to radiotherapy delivery across capital, productivity, pathways, workforce, demand and capacity planning, digital innovation and governance.
Phase 1 of the new workstream is now underway, providing targeted face-to-face support with six providers, with a focus on actions to improve waiting time performance in the short term.
Phase 2 will begin in 2027, broadening the approach to a national programme of radiotherapy deep dives across all 52 radiotherapy providers in England at radiotherapy Operational Delivery Network (ODN) level, to identify unwarranted variation, share best practice and develop practical recommendations for sustainable improvement. Areas of focus will include:
- A review of national implementation of AI in the radiotherapy planning pathway and the roll out of prostate SABR.
- The use of radiotherapy planning and booking systems to map timed pathways for challenged tumour sites and benchmarking these against peers and exemplar centres.
- Undertaking additional direct data collections where needed to fill gaps, including questionnaires and sources such as RTDS, Specialist Commissioning data, and National Cancer Programme data.
Two new clinical leads have been appointed to jointly head the new workstream – Dr John Frew, a consultant clinical oncologist at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Dr Orla Houlihan, a consultant clinical oncologist at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
Three clinical advisors for radiotherapy have also joined the GIRFT programme to work alongside the clinical leads – Clare Hutton (radiotherapy manager at NHS Humber Health Partnership), Clare Hartill (head of radiotherapy at the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust), and Dr Martyn Gilmore (lead consultant clinical scientist for radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre).
Dr John Frew specialises in the treatment of urological cancers and lymphoma at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with a particular focus on radiotherapy. Over the past 15 years, he has played a key role in the development and advancement of radiotherapy services across Newcastle and the wider Northern region, and has led numerous initiatives to improve patient access to high-quality cancer treatment.
He said:
“I am proud to be part of a team embracing the GIRFT methodology to raise the standard of radiotherapy across England. By harnessing data, sharing best practice and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, we can deliver safer, more effective care and achieve better outcomes for patients nationwide.”
Dr Orla Houlihan specialises in the treatment of genitourinary and gynaecological malignancies with radiotherapy, at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. She completed higher specialist training in radiation oncology in Ireland and subsequently completed a clinical research fellowship at Queen’s University Belfast and Belfast City Hospital, primarily focused on exploring the role of in vivo dosimetry in pelvic brachytherapy and stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy.
She said:
“I am proud to support the ongoing adoption of the GIRFT methodology, helping to advance the quality and consistency of radiotherapy services throughout England. By using evidence to inform practice, encouraging innovation, and promoting continuous improvement, we can enhance patient safety, optimise treatment outcomes and deliver exceptional care on a national scale.”
Professor Briggs welcomed the two new clinical leads to the GIRFT programme.
He said:
"Our meetings with radiotherapy teams earlier this year highlighted that there is significant unwarranted variation nationally; demand and capacity planning can be strengthened through better use of provider data, and mutual aid arrangements can be better utilised to address backlogs.
I am delighted to see these two expert clinicians now working with GIRFT and am confident they can make a real difference to waiting times as they bring together operational and clinical teams to develop a shared understanding of their challenges and the actions they must undertake for sustained improvement."
