NHS Lanarkshire logo

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service

Information for Health Care Professionals in Primary Care

On This Page

All referrals

All referrals must be received via SCI Gateway.

Before referring a patient to this Service we ask that the GP/primary care referrer arranges the following blood tests before referral – see Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service Bundle information below.

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service Bundle

  • FBC, U&E, LFTs, Calcium
  • Ferritin
  • Coeliac (TTG) antibodies
  • TFT, HbA1c
  • PSA (men)
  • CA125 (women)

These blood tests can be requested by clicking the appropriate button on OrderComms (“RCDS female” or “RCDS male”)

If you do not have OrderComms, please request the blood tests above in the usual way.

Please ask the patient to attend for the blood tests urgently within 2 working days (however you do not have to see the results before referring the patient)

Referral criteria

Patients aged 18+ with one or more of the following unexplained symptoms may be referred to the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service:

  • Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service Blood Bundle has been requested
  • There is no other urgent cancer referral pathway suitable for this clinical scenario
  • GP Clinical Suspicion of cancer / “gut feeling”
  • Unexplained laboratory test findings (e.g. thrombocytopenia, hypercalcaemia)
  • Unexplained Weight Loss
  • Severe unexplained fatigue
  • Persistent nausea or appetite loss
  • New atypical pain (e.g. diffuse abdominal pain or bone pain)
  • The patient is well enough to go through the process
  • The patient understands the process and is able to attend the Service, possibly for a whole day at a time at short notice

Exclusion Criteria

  • Those patients already on a designated Urgent Suspicion of Cancer pathway
  • Those patients who are suitable for another Urgent Suspicion of Cancer pathway
  • Referral via secondary care including ED or GP outside Lanarkshire area
  • Patient <18 years of age
  • Previous cancer diagnosis and symptoms likely due to recurrence (if a known cancer is suspected – either primary or secondary/recurrence – the patient should be referred directly to that site-specific Urgent Susupicion of Cancer pathway)
  • Patient already seen in Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service within last 3 months with no new symptoms
  • Patient too unwell to attend
  • Patient requires acute admission to hospital
  • Patient unable/unwilling to attend at short notice/for a whole day
  • A NON-CANCER diagnosis is highly likely (e.g. chronic / functional abdominal pain)
  • CT CAP within last 3 months showing no suspicion of malignancy

Please note any referrals meeting the exclusion criteria above may be automatically rejected.

Please see the RCDS patient information leaflet which you can give to the patient to explain the RCDS process and what they can expect. The contact number for more information is the Patient Navigator on 01698 361100 and ask to be transferred to 8777.

Near Me Lanarkshire