Adapting a 2-week-wait colorectal service in the pandemic using the quantitative faecal immunochemical test

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about an economic and healthcare crisis. This has resulted in delays in virtually all areas of patient care and has forced clinicians to review and adapt their processes, in order to ensure patients continue to have access to timely and effective services. In the author's local Trust, this manifested in altered protocols, developed in order to maintain patient and staff safety while conducting invasive and potentially virus-spreading investigations. A new (temporary) standard operating procedure was developed in conjunction with Cancer Alliance South West to introduce the quantitative faecal immunochemical test (qFIT) as an indicator for diagnostic testing after the majority of diagnostic services were suspended or drastically reduced. Patients would then have their investigation(s) deferred on the basis of a negative result (<10 mcg Hb/g). This cohort (n=120) were revisited once diagnostic services were resumed and referred for CT examination. Audits carried out on the data showed that nine cancers had been identified in the negative qFIT population (lung, prostate, breast, bladder, small bowel carcinoid, oesophageal and three occurrences of caecal carcinoma. This article provides an overview of the experiences and outcomes of a colorectal 2-week-wait service in response to this global pandemic and how this experience will shape the service in the future.