By submitting your National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) data you are helping to provide evidence to support management, treatments and highlight the value of the LCNS.
- Review your results from the last NLCA report: even if you have met the recommended standard for the data quality, is there anything that can improve your services further?
- Ensure all LCNS have knowledge in completing the data set to ensure complete and accurate data records. Training for all new starters should include information about different categories, e.g. Y1, Y3, Y4 etc.
- Nominate LCNS to validate data on a monthly basis with support from cancer services.
- Assess ratio of LCNS: patients and determine if caseload greater that 1:80 as recommended in the National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway (NOLCP) guidelines.
- Consider reviewing job plan/weekly scheduled activity to ensure coverage of all clinical settings. Communicate with management where gaps in service are identified.
- Consider developing a business case with support from operational managers to increase the number of LCNS within the team to bring up to NOLCP recommended levels.
- Consider introducing administrative support to the LCNS team to enable more clinical time for each nurse.
- Ensure good communication with wider MDT to understand the importance of the role and the quality care that can be delivered by the LCNS.
- Work proactively with other CNS teams to ensure knowledge of patients is shared and contact is documented; this will reduce duplication and improve patient experience.
- Consider undertaking a local patient experience survey to determine where the gaps in service are in order to address the patients’ needs.
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