About the Scottish Cancer Network programme

What is the Scottish Cancer Network?

NHS National Services Scotland is hosting the Scottish Cancer Network. This is a dedicated national resource to support and create a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to cancer services. It will assist in enabling equitable access to care and treatment across Scotland.

It's main aims are to:

• Develop and operate a system for the production, review, and hosting of National Clinical Management Pathways
• Oversee and drive improvement of existing National Managed Clinical Networks and adopt similar national network approaches for other areas, for example areas with low volume activity, that may benefit.

The Scottish Cancer Network will work collaboratively with already established regional and national Cancer Networks to understand the processes and progress made around Clinical Management Guidelines and National Managed Clinical Networks. It will also work to assist the networks in continuing to make the best use of clinical time, ensuring best care for patients wherever they are in Scotland.

The Scottish Cancer Network will develop Clinical Management Pathways and improvement in patient pathways, including surgery, for less common cancers. Clinical consensus, ongoing improvement and equitable access will be key founding principles.

What will this new resource mean for cancer services in NHS Scotland?

• Improved pathways leading to better patient experience and outcomes
• A consistent approach to the production of high-quality clinical management guidelines, backed up a universally accessible digital space
• Increase in public and professional confidence
• Cohesion between healthcare and patient networks

How can you get involved?

This work will develop over a 2-year period. The programme team will work to support and encourage active engagement throughout the programme and at key stages but you can contact the team anytime via nss.scottishcancernetwork@nhs.scot.

Cancer Networks

National cancer managed clinical networks (MCNs) were established as a means of delivering equitable, high-quality, clinical care. They support sarcoma, hepatopancreatobiliary cancer, brain/central nervous system cancer and Mesothelioma and Thyroid Cancer patients across the 14 NHS boards in Scotland..

These five MCNs are hosted within the Scottish Cancer Network.

Each managed network has a clinical lead and is supported by a small programme team manager. Patients, carers, charities, universities, local authorities, external companies and all relevant clinical specialities are also represented.

Regular meetings take place to review progress against agreed objectives, as defined in an annual work plan. The outcomes of these meetings are then reported to Scottish Government via the Scottish Cancer Network. Any outcomes or service development proposals that have significant potential for service impact are also presented to the three regional planning groups for consideration.

Each MCN is reviewed annually by the Scottish Cancer Network against the service level agreement.

Follow the links below to learn more about each network. Each link will take you to an external website.

Scottish Adult Neuro-Oncology Network (SANON) – linking together health professionals, patients and voluntary sector representatives to ensure the delivery of care for patients with brain and central nervous system tumours.

Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Network (SHPBN) – ensuring equity of care for all patients throughout Scotland with cancer of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder or biliary tree.

Scottish Sarcoma Network (Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma) (SSN) – ensuring equity of care for all patients in Scotland with sarcoma.

Scottish Mesothelioma Network (SMN) – comprised of a team of clinicians from across Scotland who collaborate to share best practice and provide high-quality clinical care, information and support to all patients, wherever they live in the country.

Scottish Thyroid Cancer Network (STCN) – The Scottish Thyroid Cancer Network is comprised of a team of clinicians from across Scotland who collaborate to share best practice and provide high-quality clinical care, information and support to all patients, wherever they live in the country.