GIRFT – 10th April 2024
Best practice guidance to help improve the care of patients with suspected prostate cancer is now available to NHS colleagues in a new Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) resource.
The practical guidance, supported by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) and the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN), includes a delivery checklist and detailed principles for first-class care across the entire patient pathway – from primary care to secondary care to ongoing monitoring, as well as recommendations for managing biopsies and treatment choices.
Towards Better Diagnosis & Management of Suspected Prostate Cancer has been developed by an expert working group of 20 clinicians to ensure representation across the whole pathway.
Best practice recommended in the guidance aims to speed up the time to diagnosis and treatment, at the same time as reducing unnecessary tests. For example, in primary care the guidance acknowledges that men at higher risk (aged 50 or Black men over 45) can have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test after discussion of prostate cancer risk, with no digital rectal examination (DRE) needed if the PSA is raised. In secondary care, it recommends that patients who are fit for radical treatment should go direct to MRI and then have a review with the clinical team with the MRI result, helping to reduce delays to diagnosis and treatment if required.
Read the guidance – Towards Better Diagnosis & Management of Suspected Prostate Cancer
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