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BUPA boosts standards in bowel cancer care2 August 2007The bar has been raised for bowel cancer patients today as Britain’s leading medical insurer announces that 84 private and NHS hospitals across the UK have met its stringent criteria in their bid to be awarded the BUPA quality assurance kitemark. All BUPA Approved Bowel Cancer Units had to meet a set of strict clinical and service standards covering: patient information; the bowel cancer team; diagnosis; surgery; radiotherapy; chemotherapy; and follow-up care. Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer after lung cancer - 35,500 people will be diagnosed with the disease this year alone. Only half will survive. BUPA sought advice from leading UK charity Beating Bowel Cancer to ensure that patient needs and concerns were at the core of its quality standards when devising the measures for assessment. Hilary Whittaker, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said: "It is important that the medical profession continues to encourage informed shared patient and doctor decision making and open access to treatment choices. By stepping up the already high standards it sets for accrediting bowel cancer hospitals, BUPA is helping to drive excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer and the provision of after care." BUPA originally introduced its quality assessment for bowel cancer hospitals in 2001 and the approved centres have since done thousands of operations ensuring that best practice is followed and patient care paramount. During recent months, BUPA has revisited and improved its original assessment standards to take account of medical and technological advances and all units have gone through a re-accreditation process. This has led to at least 25 hospitals making further improvements to their services. Mr Paul Finan, Immediate Past President of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland said: "As the body representing surgeons, physicians, oncologists, radiologists and many other healthcare professionals with a major interest in the science, investigation and treatment of colorectal disease, we welcome any initiative which promotes best clinical practice, raises standards and improves care for patients." Dr Paula Franklin, Deputy Medical Director at BUPA Insurance, said: "BUPA is the first and only insurer in the UK to accredit hospitals for patients with bowel cancer. This means that it is not only our members who benefit from high standards, but everyone undergoing treatment at the BUPA-approved hospitals. The re-accreditation means that the hospitals have reconfirmed their commitment to patient care and medical professionalism." BUPA members have the further reassurance that, should they ever be diagnosed with bowel cancer, they have access to new drugs and treatments, some of which are not widely available on the NHS. Avastin and Erbitux, for example, may extend the life expectancy of people with terminal bowel cancer and can shrink tumours or reduce the rate of growth, allowing more time for vital surgery. Both drugs have been approved in the EU but not by the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE), the independent body in the UK which determines which drugs are to made available via the NHS. In addition to the specialist bowel cancer units, BUPA also runs similar accreditation schemes which include 157 approved breast cancer hospitals as well as approved hospitals for gynaecological cancer, bone marrow and stem cell transplants. Further information about bowel cancer hospitals. Back to the latest press releases
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