An NHS trust in West Yorkshire is exploiting advances in technology, including artificial intelligence and a surgical robot, to help it meet key cancer targets and ease the wider pressure on its hospitals.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is meeting three key cancer targets set out by the government.
These are a 28-day wait from an urgent referral to a patient being told they have cancer or normal result, a 31-day wait from a decision to treat a patient to when that first treatment takes place, and a 62-day wait from an urgent GP referral to first treatment.
Sky News was invited into Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to see some of the innovations behind those results, starting with a diagnostic test called a Cytosponge.
Essentially a small capsule on a string, the Cytosponge is swallowed by the patient, before the capsule’s coating dissolves in the stomach to release a small brush, which when removed, allows cell collection from the lining of the oesophagus.
These cells are then analysed for any abnormalities.
Cytosponge, a new diagnostic test, could help doctors detect cases of gullet cancer quicker
The Cytosponge is used as an alternative to an endoscopy, which takes longer and is more invasive, a point not lost on Jean Bellenger, who was one of the first patients at the hospital to take the new test, which takes around 15 minutes.
“To be honest with you, endoscopies they’re not right nice,” she said. “But to have this done, this is nothing.”
After Jean gulped down three cups of water, a nurse gently helped coax the sponge down the 72-year-old’s throat, before setting a seven-minute timer.
During that time, Jean could still speak, telling us she was looking forward to having a coffee and some marmalade on toast for breakfast.
The sponge was then taken out of her stomach, sealed and sent away for testing.
Once swallowed by a patient, the device will collect samples from the oesophagus
Arin Saha, a consultant general surgeon at the hospital, explained how using the Cytosponge is an example of speeding up diagnostics for people like Jean, who have Barrett’s Oesophugus, a condition that means she is more likely to develop gullet cancer.
“You normally get the result back from the lab within a week and you’re able to tell a patient as the result comes back to you,” he said.
“So that’s a really good benefit compared to the old way of doing things when you have to wait for the biopsies that can take a couple of weeks to come back.”
The Cytosponge is not the only tool the trust has brought in to try and identify cancer earlier. It is also using artificial intelligence to review chest X-rays and to help manage the workload of radiographers.
The AI algorithm, known as red dot chest X-ray, assesses chest scans in around seven seconds, meaning patients can receive their results on the same day and begin treatment sooner.
