We aim to deliver an effective and robust cancer performance and improvement management function across the ICS. The team collaborates closely with the SEL Cancer Alliance (SELCA), provider Trusts, primary care, and NHS England. The team focuses on the strategic, financial and operational aspects of the delivery of cancer performance standards and high-quality cancer pathways, including supporting the development and implementation of care transformation and oversight and assurance of delivery against plans. As such, the work programme is very broad, covering primary care, early diagnosis and screening, through to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, and all interdependent aspects of cancer care within South East London.

Recent achievements

The ICB Cancer team works in close partnership with SELCA and as such has aligned outputs, please see further details on the SELCA team here which also highlights some recent achievements within the sector for Cancer.

Managing Demand for Cancer Services

Since the pandemic, there have been significant changes in patterns of referrals for suspected cancers in South East London and the ability of services to manage this demand. This has a number of causes, from changes in when and how patients present to their GP in order to initiate a referral, to the impact of the pandemic on capacity within services, and the drive for the NHS to ‘catch-up’ on activity that was drastically reduced during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given this, it is more important than ever that our services are able to plan their capacity effectively to manage expected growth and ensure that patients are seen within expected waiting times.

To support this, the SEL ICB Cancer Team has produced a ‘Cancer Referral Demand Planning Tool’ which is now available online to all teams across all hospital sites and Trusts in South East London. This uses data and modelling approaches recommended and endorsed by NHS England to provide a single, system solution to support cancer referral demand planning. This has been used to support service developments, facilitate discussions on mutual aid between Trusts and provide equitable, evidence-based planning practices across SEL.

Further information

For further information please contact the Cancer team via email on:

News, stories and events

Spring bank holiday

Find updates from our hospitals - and what to do if you need our help

22 May 2023
Our Transformation Plan for children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing services

We have published our transformation plan for children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing services in south East London. The plan covers what we aim to achieve overall, and the key actions we will take in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Our aim is to support service improvements that will benefit children and young people, […]

19 May 2023
Clock ticking on last chance for under 50s to get free first or second COVID-19 vaccine

Time is running out for many people in south east London to get their first – or second – COVID-19 vaccination. People aged between 5 and 49 on 31 August 2022 who have not had a jab can still get a free vaccine from the NHS – but that door closes on 30 June. The […]

17 May 2023