Expert Reference Groups
What are Expert Reference Groups (ERGs)?
Expert Reference Groups are multi disciplinary meetings which bring together relevant colleagues from across north east London to identify relevant issues and provide expert advice across the whole pathway.
The overall purpose of these groups is to improve cancer care and experience for patients within the specific tumour pathway. These groups will be the primary source of clinical opinion for their pathway for the North East London Cancer Alliance, supporting the delivery of the work programme. These groups will engage with all cross-cutting work streams within the alliance (earlier diagnosis, personalised care etc).
Which tumour groups are represented?
We have set up ERGs for the following tumour groups:
- Brain and Spine
- Breast
- Gynae
- Head and Neck
- Hepato Pancreatic Biliary (HPB)
- Lower Gastrointestinal
- Lung
- Oesophageal
- Non Site Specific (NSS)
- Urology
What are the responsibilities of an ERG?
- Developing and delivering improvements to the clinical pathways and practice
- Supporting the local system to achieve national targets (CWT, Screening, stratified follow up)
- Delivering projects commissioned by the cancer alliance
- Provide expert advice to cancer stakeholders
- Act as a mechanism for reducing variation and standardising pathways across NEL
- Ensure there is a focus on reducing health inequalities in all aspects of its remit
- Support the gathering and reviewing of intelligence about their pathway
- Support the delivery of key cancer alliance objectives relevant to their tumour site
- Identify specific opportunities for improving outcomes and patient experience using evidence, data and expert knowledge
- Promote research and innovation within their pathway
- Develop, review and update relevant clinical guidelines when required
- Engage with NEL CA programme leads/managers when developing improvement projects to ensure these link to programme work-plans, avoid duplication and support a joined-up approach to improvement
- Ensure the patient voice is embedded in the Group through meaningful engagement
- Identify areas where education and/or training could improve the clinical pathway or patient experience
- Develop and agree with the cancer alliance CMO an annual work programme, related to the overall cancer alliances work programme and supporting delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions for cancer
- Develop links with neighbouring ICSs to share best practice and research across London
- ERGs are able to establish sub groups to manage particular projects if required
- Succession planning
What is their membership?
- ERG chair
- Tumour specific clinical leads from each trust
- Other relevant clinical representatives (e.g. diagnostic leads)
- Clinical and medical oncology representatives
- Operational management representative from each trust
- Radiology/pathology representatives
- CNS representatives
- AHP representatives
- Patient and carer representatives
- Primary care representative
- NEL Cancer Alliance Project Management support
- NELCA programme/project managers, when appropriate
Optional
- CCG Representative
- Business informatics
What are the meeting requirements?
- The ERGs will meet quarterly. The group may also hold additional, ad-hoc meetings if required.
- ERGs will provide updates on progress to the Programme Executive on a bi-monthly basis via the project manager
- ERG chairs will be expected to attend the Programme Executive Meeting twice a year to provide a detailed update on progress.
- Papers will be circulated one week before each meeting date.
- The Alliance PM will maintain a single meeting/action tracker, and will develop a light-touch, common reporting approach for use by all delivery groups.
- Quorum shall be the Chair (or deputy) plus at least one representative from each trust and a NEL Cancer Alliance representative
Find out more
For more information, visit the Diagnosis and Treatment Programme webpage. If you have a question, email the team at nelondonicb.nelcanceralliance@nhs.net