Key Points
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS cancer referral guidance recommended
a move from face-to-face clinics to telephone appointment. In this
study, we reviewed the safety of telephone clinic for urgent 2-week
wait cancer referrals.
- In the 7 months study period during the COVID-19 pandemic, 1062 urgent
2-week wait cancer referrals were received in our regional head and
neck specialist unit, reflecting a 7.3% decline compared to
pre-pandemic data.
- At 6-months follow-up, 98 (9.2%) patients received a new diagnosis of
malignancy. 95 of them received their diagnoses promptly after their
initial telephone clinic, whereas 3 patients received a delayed
diagnosis.
- There is a late diagnosis rate of 0.28% but we discussed in our cases
that late diagnosis does not inevitably lead to worse clinical outcome
or harm.
- Telephone clinics will likely remain in some capacity after the
pandemic, while telephone clinics are pragmatic means to maintain
patient flow during the pandemic, they could result in risk of late
diagnosis.