A team which provides care for patients diagnosed with sarcomas has been named as a finalist for this year’s BMJ awards under the category “cancer team of the year”.
The “National Sarcoma MDT project”, initiated by Dr Ioanna Nixon and co-led by Dr Mark McCleery and Lindsay Campbell on behalf of the Scottish Sarcoma Network, is a national forum for discussions and decision making on the optimal treatment and care for all patients diagnosed with saracoma.
Sarcomas are rare and diverse cancers that can develop in any part of the body and are 1% of cancers in Scotland. On average 350 patients are diagnosed each year in Scotland but this number is rising, and the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) ensure the complex care is required for patients is co-ordinated between the multiple sites.
Early diagnosis and pathology input is essential for every patient with sarcoma and the Scottish sarcoma MDT aims to ensure equitable, timely, safe and person centred care for all patients.
Di Nixon said: “We are delighted we are finalists for the BMJ awards. This is a boost for everyone who has worked extremely hard to support reform work for all cancer patients in the West of Scotland. This includes the team, clinicians, and GP colleagues.
“We also work with patients to improve the patient experience. This feedback from patients on how we make improvements is a team effort. Using improvement science methods helps us to plan, coordinate and deliver an improvement project. But the recipe for success lies in the common purpose and shared vision.
“We are all together on a journey to improve care for our patients and their families.
“If, as Hippocrates says, we have a love of medicine, we, the National Sarcoma MDT, shall share this love in all dimensions of our professional life.”