NKCA Quality Improvement Intervention

The NPCA team is pleased to announce the launch of a Quality Improvement (QI) intervention in January 2026. The primary goal is to improve access of people diagnosed with kidney cancer to Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Care.

As part of the QI Intervention, the NKCA has been working alongside NICE, as the value of CNS care is reflected in both the NICE Quality Standards and the NICE guidelines (resources provided below).

The intervention will focus on two key indicators:

1. Percentage of people diagnosed with kidney cancer seen by a CNS (among those with a completed CNS contact field in COSD)

2. Data completeness for COSD CNS contact field

Quarterly Data Dashboard

Results will be added to the NKCA Data Dashboard, updated quarterly, with repeated assessments to track progress over time.

Active Feedback

The audit issues targeted feedback to trusts that have low percentages of people diagnosed with kidney cancer being seen by a CNS or low levels of data completeness for this data item. This feedback includes a letter summarising each trust’s results, a CNS checklist, and a local action plan (resources provided below). These materials are sent to both the Clinical Lead and the Clinical Nurse Lead.

We encourage trusts to review the accuracy of our findings using the dashboard and compare these with your local records. If you identify any discrepancies, please contact the Data Liaison Managers at the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) using the details below, and kindly copy us into your correspondence.

Following the feedback cycle, the audit will develop a catalogue of best practices and improvement activities to strengthen CNS care. This learning will be shared more widely once responses from trusts have been reviewed.

Quality Improvement Resources