Cancer data and performance reporting

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This Freedom of Information response is subject to an Internal Review.

The process is due to conclude by 12 August 2026, and we will publish the outcome of the review to this page.​

Request 8299331​41​

This request is confined to existing held information. It does not seek patient-level data, manual review of individual case notes, or the creation of a new dataset. It is directed to reports, dashboards, scorecards, board papers, audit outputs, data dictionaries and aggregate extracts already produced or already reportable from central systems.

For the period 1 January 2025 to the date of your response, and in the case of items 3, 4 and 6 including any record created before that date but still current, used or active at any time during that period, please provide the following recorded information held by Health and Care Jersey in relation to cancer diagnosis and treatment performance:

1. Distinct standing performance reports​

A schedule identifying each distinct monthly, quarterly or annual report, dashboard, scorecard, board paper series, quality paper series, or equivalent standing report used to monitor cancer diagnosis or treatment performance, including:

• title
• owning / authoring team
• reporting frequency
• the date range covered during the period

For each distinct standing report or dashboard series identified, please provide a copy of the latest version held within the period.​

For the avoidance of doubt, where the same standing report is produced periodically, I do not require every iteration at this stage.

2. Existing aggregate pathway outputsAny existing aggregate report, dashboard view, saved extract, scorecard, breach report, exception report or equivalent summary output showing one or more of the following, whether as counts, medians, averages, percentiles, breach counts or equivalent summary measures:

• ​referral to first seen
• referral to diagnosis
• diagnosis to decision to treat
• decision to treat to first treatment
• diagnosis to first treatment
• diagnosis to first MDT
• MDT to treatment start
• any 28-day, 31-day, 62-day or equivalent cancer pathway measure​

3. Central reporting capability / field availability

Any existing data dictionary, reporting specification, field list, implementation paper, system note or equivalent record showing whether the following dates or fields are centrally reportable from the Somerset Cancer Registry and/or any other central system used by HCJ for cancer pathway reporting:

•  referral received date
• first seen date
• diagnosis date
• decision to treat date
• first treatment start date
• first MDT date
• treatment modality
• off-island referral date
• off-island treatment date
• breach reason / delay reason
  

If no single document sets this out, please provide any existing held record that identifies whether, and from what date, these fields are centrally reportable.

4. Governance / risk papers​

The latest version of any risk register entry active at any time during the period, and any escalation note, exception report, internal audit paper or governance paper created or updated in the period, that refers to limitations in cancer pathway reporting, cancer waiting-time reporting, stage reporting, or central extractability of cancer data.​

5. If no relevant report or extract is held

If no report or aggregate extract within scope of paragraphs 1 or 2 is held, please confirm that expressly.​

6. If capability changed during the period

If diagnosis date, first treatment start date, 62-day pathway data, or stage-at-diagnosis data became centrally reportable at any point during the period, please provide the recorded document showing when that capability became available.

If no such change occurred, please confirm that expressly.

If any part of this request is considered exempt or not held, please identify the specific limb affected and the basis relied upon.​

If another Scheduled Public Authority holds part or all of the requested information, please transfer the request accordingly or advise me.

Response

1 and 2 

Distinct standing performance reports

Details of dashboards and standing reports held by Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) that are used operationally to monitor aspects of service performance relevant to cancer diagnosis or treatment are provided in the attachment ‘Standing performance reports and dashboards’. A description of the dashboard and cancer-related reporting relevance and limitations is included for context.

Standing performance reports and​ dash​boards​

Dashboards and dashboard views cannot be provided, as these contain personally identifiable information and special category data of individuals. Therefore, Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. Where possible, activity data have been reported, as shown in charts 1 to 4:​

Dashboard data charts​

Existing aggregate pathway outputs available:

Referral to First Seen (Outpatients)

Aggregate monthly output within the Clinical Productivity Dashboard – Outpatients reporting the timeliness of first outpatient appointments for urgent or suspected cancer referrals. Figures denote the percentage of first Outpatient appointments allocated to Urgent / Suspected Cancer referrals within 28 calendar days of referral acceptance. Separate aggregate outputs distinguishing between urgent non-cancer and suspected cancer referrals are not held. This measure has been included in the published HCJ Advisory Board papers, commencing July 2025.

Referral to First Seen (Outpatients) output​

Diagnostic Timeliness

Aggregate monthly output within the Clinical Productivity Dashboard – Diagnostics reporting the diagnostic timeliness for referrals recorded with cancer relevant urgency categories. Figures denote the percentage of diagnostic tests completed within 42 days of referral, and within 84 days of referral. Diagnostic completion is measured based on the interval between referral receipt and test completion, as recorded in the source diagnostic systems.

Diagnostic Timeliness output​

Aggregate pathway outputs not held

HCJ does not hold existing aggregate reports, saved extracts, scorecards, breach reports, or exception reports for the following cancer pathway measures:

• referral to diagnosis
• diagnosis to decision to treat
• decision to treat to first treatment
• diagnosis to first treatment
• diagnosis to first MDT
  
• MDT to treatment start
• 62 day cancer pathway performance
• stage at diagnosis reporting​

3

Fields currently centrally reportable

HCJ holds central access to the following data fields which support operational and aggregate reporting; their availability does not currently enable end to end cancer pathway performance reporting:

• Referral received date

Held within the Patient Administration System (PAS) / outpatient systems and used within current reporting and dashboard products.

• Diagnostic activity data (including dates of tests performed and result reporting)

Held centrally and used to support aggregate diagnostic reporting.

• Off-Island referral date
  

Held within the Overseas Treatment and Travel Administration (OTTA) system and reported via an existing OTTA dashboard, with the ability to view act​ivity at aggregate and specialty level.

Fields not currently evidenced as centrally reportable

The following fields are not currently centrally extractable or routinely reportable for cancer pathway performance purposes:

• diagnosis date (as a pathway anchor)
• decision to treat date
• first treatment start date
• first MDT date
• diagnosis to treatment or diagnosis to MDT intervals
  
• breach or delay reason

While some of these individual data elements may exist within clinical systems or are planned for future development, they are not currently supported by central reporting capability. No central reporting or extract capability from the Somerset Cancer Registry is currently available within HCJ to support routine cancer pathway performance monitoring, and no documentation (such as a data dictionary, reporting specification, or implementation paper) is held in this regard.

4

A review of all risk register entries for Oncology and cancer screening services has been performed, as well as a review of any entries resulting from a keyword search for ‘cancer’. None have been identified that have been active at any point from 01 January 2025 to date which refer to limitations in cancer pathway reporting, cancer waiting-time reporting, stage reporting, or central extractability of cancer data:

A paper entitled ‘Cancer Management’ was presented to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in March 2026. The document is determined as exempt from disclosure under Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 at this time, as it is considered to constitute policy under development.​

5

Not applicable.​

6

No records are held by HCJ which document that diagnosis date, first treatment start date, 62 day pathway data, or stage at diagnosis data became centrally reportable at any point during the period from 01 January 2025 to date.

HCJ introduced the Clinical Productivity Dashboard in April 2025, enabling routine aggregate reporting for limited elements of the cancer referral and diagnostic pathway (specifically referral to first seen performance for urgent / suspected cancer referrals and high level diagnostic timeliness); this does not extend to central reporting capability for diagnosis dates, treatment dates, 62 day pathway measures, or stage at diagnosis data.

Articles applied

Article 25 Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law​

Article 35 Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public Interest Test

Article 35 is a qualified exemption and, as such, Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) has conducted a public interest test as required by law. 

HCJ has assessed whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in supplying the information is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining the exemption. 

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure:

• disclosure of information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public.
  
• disclosure of information provides confirmation that appropriate consultation and necessary discussions have taken place
  
• disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how Government departments engage with parties for this purpose
  

Public interest considerations favouring maintaining the exemption:  

• Sharing views is important to ensure that all relevant considerations are taken into account in developing and implementing policy; in order to best develop policy, Officers and Ministers need a safe space within which free and frank discussion can take place, where officials and subject-matter experts may provide advice about the possible impact of proposed policy, and where Ministers and officials are able to test proposed policies in a comprehensive way.
  

• Without the above, the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately would likely be impacted.
  

• Whilst the need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy, the use of the exemption can be supported if it preserves sufficient freedom during the policy formulation phase to explore options without that process being hampered by some expectation of future publication.
  
  
• Disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback in future. This would hamper and harm the policy-making process, not only in relation to this subject area, but in respect of future policy development across other areas of Department and Government business.
  
  
• Other processes which will impact upon the final policy content are currently still in progress and must be concluded before the policy in development can be agreed.

It is recognised that there is a public interest in transparency. However, having considered the public interest, HCJ has concluded that the public interest in disclosing this information is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining the exemption.