Publish date: 28 October 2026
A Trust team responsible for supporting patients with symptoms that may indicate cancer has revealed improvements which have allowed it to see double the number of patients.
Thanks to recent improvements, the team has grown the service from 762 referrals in 2022 to 1,598 in 2025. Under the pathway patients will usually undergo a computed tomography (CT) of their thorax, abdomen and pelvis (known as a CT TAP) and depending on the findings further tests may be required.
Symptoms requiring referral can include:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Recurrent abdominal pain
- Non-iron deficiency anaemia
- Other specific symptoms that raise clinical concern.
The team is comprised of Dr Nishan Karunasekara, Clinical Lead, Nikki Roberts, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Kayleigh Taft, NSS Navigator.
When Nikki joined the service three years ago patients received a template letter with their results. Now patients who require referrals to another service or further investigations will receive a phone call from Nikki who will talk through the results.
This approach means that patients receive personalised care with Nikki being able to provide information in easy and clear to understand. During the call they are also able to ask any questions or clarify anything they may not understand.
A patient seen by the service said: “It was such a great relief when Nikki rang me and went through the report, explaining the findings and answering my questions. To have somebody as knowledgeable, patient, kind and friendly as Nikki to discuss my situation with was extremely helpful, also I was left in no doubt as to what would be happening next.”
The Trust would like to thank Nishan, Nikki and Kayleigh for their hard work and dedication to providing each patient with individualised care.
