How this fits in

There is ongoing national monitoring of elements of the cancer-referral process from primary care, including the proportion of urgent referrals (‘2-week waits’) and emergency presentations. The 2014 National Cancer Diagnosis Audit provided a richer picture of this process, as reported by GPs themselves. This research presents a direct comparison of that audit to the more recent one carried out on patients diagnosed in 2018, with revised National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on referral of suspected cancer having been published in 2015. It shows improvements in practice over time such as fewer pre-referral consultations and a shortened time to referral and diagnosis.