How this fits in

Finding ways to diagnose cancer earlier is now a priority. Safety netting may assist the earlier detection of cancer, but it is unclear what the format and content of an acceptable safety-netting intervention for use in primary care would involve. Using creative co-design processes and a phase of stakeholder input and feedback, knowledge was gained about the components considered essential for a safety-netting intervention to work in practice that can be used with patients following an initial presentation to primary care and before a referral or diagnosis is obtained. In particular, patients and primary care staff identified important principles for a safety-netting intervention, such as encouraging staff and patients to discuss uncertainty about diagnosis, providing patients with a symptom review prompt post-consultation, and providing patients with a plan for returning to primary care if necessary. The safety-netting intervention, co-designed with and for patients and primary care staff, can now be examined to assess whether it is feasible and potentially effective in practice.