A colorectal straight‐to‐test cancer pathway with general‐practitioner‐guided triage improves attainment of the 28‐day diagnosis target and increases outpatient clinic capacity

Aim This study investigates whether a straight‐to‐test (STT) colorectal cancer pathway improves attainment of the National Health Service (NHS) England 28‐day Faster Diagnosis Standard and the effect of the pathway on reducing face‐to‐face outpatient clinic appointments. Patient satisfaction and the safety of a novel general practitioner (GP) led patient triage system regarding suitability for colonoscopy are also evaluated. Methods This is an observational study of all patients managed via an STT colorectal cancer pathway between 1 September 2019 and 19 March 2020. Comparison is made with all patients referred on the suspected colorectal cancer pathway prior to implementation of the STT pathway from 1 January 2019 to 30 July 2019. Patient satisfaction with the STT pathway was assessed with a telephone‐based questionnaire. Results Attainment of the 28‐day diagnosis target for all suspected colorectal cancer referrals improved following the establishment of the STT pathway (88% vs. 82%, P