A new national audit project is launching its first phase, aiming to improve understanding of how cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is managed across the NHS.
The Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) Audit Project, managed by Health Data Insight (HDI) and funded by AMMF – The Cholangiocarcinoma Charity, will begin with a survey of Hepatobiliary (HPB) Units across the UK to explore how services are currently delivered.
Why this project matters
CCA is a rare but aggressive cancer with around 3,100 new diagnoses each year in the UK. Outcomes remain poor, with survival rates among the lowest of all cancers. Previous national data analyses have identified significant variation in how patients are diagnosed and treated, and a substantial proportion do not receive active anti-cancer treatment, with reasons not yet fully understood. This new audit aims to address these gaps.
What the organisational survey will involve
The survey is the first phase of the CCA Audit Project and will be sent to HPB units across the UK. It will capture information on referral pathways and multidisciplinary team (MDT) working, surgical activity and patient management, staffing and service variation across centres, follow-up protocols, and research involvement. Findings will be used to identify and understand variation and highlight areas for improvement.
A national collaborative effort
The project is led by Professor Dhanny Gomez (Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) and delivered by HDI, in collaboration with AMMF, the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), Cholangiocarcinoma UK, and the British Association for the Study of Liver Disease (BASL).
Get involved
Surveys will be sent to a lead contact at each HPB unit. If received, please complete and return the information as soon as possible. Results are expected to be published later this year. For more information, please visit the CCA Audit Project page.