Sarcoma Advisory Group (SAG)

Terms of Reference

September 2011

1. Role and Purpose of the Sarcoma Advisory Group

·  the primary source of clinical opinion on the tumour types dealt with by the SAG for the networks associated with that SAG for those tumour types;

·  the group to whom the network delegates corporate responsibility for those tumour types for co-ordination and consistency across the networks on cancer policy, patient pathways, practice guidelines, audit, research and service improvement;

·  the group consulting with the relevant 'cross cutting' groups of those networks on issues regarding the SAG's tumour types, involving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cancer imaging, histopathology, laboratory investigation and specialist palliative care

·  For 2011-2014 the North of England Cancer Network (NECN) has set itself an ambition to save an additional 1,000 lives of people with cancer and this has led to additional responsibilities being agreed for each NSSG:

-  Being responsible for the design of extended pathways (prevention through treatment to living with cancer and end of life care)

-  Managing out variation in aspects of service delivery in public health, primary, secondary, tertiary and community care.

Designation as required by Peer Review / Lead / Deputy
Chair of the MDT / Shona Murray / Craig Gerrand
MDT lead clinician from each MDT associated with it / N/A / N/A
A nurse core member of an MDT associated with it / Karen Fisher / -
Two user representatives / Cuthbert Earl / Philip Harrison
Named member as patient and carer advocate / Karen Fisher / -
Clinical Trials Lead / Mark Verrill / Shet Biswas
Named secretarial/administrative support / Ann Bassom / Claire McNeill
NSCAG representative responsible for bone sarcoma services / Matt Johnson
Network Representatives / Bill Richardson / Toni Hunt
Extended Membership
Core Consultant Histopathologist, NUTH, Sarcoma MDT / Dr Petra Dildey / Dr Philip Sloan
Core Consultant Oncologist, NUTH, Sarcoma MDT / Dr Daniella Lee
Cancer Services Manager, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals / Michelle Mangan / Louise Hobson
N Cumbria Hospitals Trust representative / Dr Anil Kumar
Northumbria Health Care FT representative / Dr Bob Stirling
Gateshead Health NHS FT representative / Kevin Clarke
City Hospitals Sunderland FT representative / Chris Hartley
South Tyneside FT representative / Beatrix Weber
County Durham & Darlington NHS FT representative / Iain Bain
North Tees & Hartlepool NHS FT representative / Mat Tabaqchali
South Tees Hospitals FT representative / Dr Hans Van der Voet

2. Membership


The SAG is multidisciplinary with representation from professionals across the care pathway and involves users in planning and review of services.

3. Service Development

The SAG will ensure that service planning:

§  Is in line with national guidance/standards (including reconfiguration where necessary).

§  Covers the whole care pathway.

§  Promotes high quality care and reduces inequalities in service delivery.

§  Takes account of the views of users.

§  Takes account of opportunities for service and workforce redesign.

§  Recommend priorities for service development to the Network Board.

§  Advise the Network Board on the three year service delivery plan and annual business planning requirements, ensuring these are linked to manual of standards guidance, the NHS plan, Improving Outcomes Guidance and financial limits.

§  Generate clinical guidelines and review these annually.

§  Generate referral guidelines across the patient pathway and review these annually.

§  Act as a source of clinical opinion on drugs for the tumour site, liaising with the NECDAG to ensure there is a single agreed approach to drugs usage across the Network.

§  Advise on screening issues for the specialty where appropriate

§  Lead clinical discussions with primary care organisation leads.

§  Ensure decisions become integrated into constituent organisational structures and processes.

§  Ensure representation on the NECN Clinical Advisory Group.

4. Workforce Development

§  Consider and advise the overall workforce requirements for the SAG.

§  Consider the requirements for the education and training of both teams and individuals.

§  Liaise with cancer unit, the cancer centre, Network Board and workforce directorate at SHA to ensure that appropriate workforce numbers and continuing professional development are available.

5. Service Improvement

§  Ensure commitment is given to service improvement. There is a designated lead for service improvement for the group.

§  Ensure that Cancer Services Collaborative Improvement Partnership tools and techniques such as, demand analyses are incorporated into all service improvements, where appropriate, so they become the norm.

§  Monitor performance data related to site specific group.

§  Identify and publicise areas of best practice.

§  Promote evidence based practice and ensure it underpins all service improvements.

§  Support the development of high quality, evidence based patient information with constituent MDTs, for use across the Network.


6. Service Monitoring and Evaluation

§  Agree priorities for common data collection (in line with national priorities e.g. for National Cancer Audit Support Programme). Also agree items over and above the MDS to be collected.

§  Review the quality and completeness of data, recommending corrective action where necessary.

§  Agree at least one Network wide audit project for the cancer site with the MDTs and the Network, and recommend these to the Network Board group. These audits should be reviewed and discussed, actions/outcomes agreed and implemented.

§  Monitor progress on meeting national cancer measures and ensure action plans agreed following peer review are implemented.

§  Report identified risks/untoward incidents to ensure learning is spread.

§  Need to identify a designated audit lead for the group.

7. Research and Development

§  Work with the NECN Research Networks on developing a portfolio of clinical trials for the NSSG, into which patients managed by the MDT for that cancer site in the Network maybe entered.

§  Actively monitor recruitment to clinical trials

§  Identify and discuss emerging research and its implications for clinical practice and incorporated into practice where appropriate.

§  Influence the development of an evidence base for practice in the cancer speciality.

8. Annual Work programme and Report

The Chair will draw the above together in an annual work programme in the context of a prioritised work programme, for approval by the Network Board; and ensure this is fed into commissioning process supporting the developments of service specification where necessary.

9. Frequency of Meetings

The SAG shall meet as a minimum at least 3 times per year.

10. Publication of Notes

Minutes of the SAG will be posted onto NECN website.

11. Reporting Arrangements

The SAG Chair shall report to the Network Clinical Advisory Group and/or the Medical Director.

12. Responsibilities of the Chairperson

§  The chair of the SAG is required to provide clinical leadership for their cancer site/group of cancers.

§  The chair should participate in the meetings of Clinical Advisory Group and will work closely with the Network Medical Director and Lead Clinician.

§  The chair shall be responsible for ensuring the SAG adheres to the terms of reference and agrees an annual work programme with the Network Medical Director.

§  The chair will ensure that the SAG meetings are arranged, recorded and actioned.

Review Date: March 2013