Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service
Information for Patients
Your referralÂ
You have been referred to the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS) because you have noticed some changes in your body that your GP would like us to investigate.
The RCDS is a fast-track clinic where your symptoms can be investigated by a team of specialists to rule out cancer.
Once you have been referred to this service, you will receive a phone call from a member of the RCDS team within three working days. This telephone call may appear from an unknown number or an 0800 number, so please don’t ignore it.
Please make sure that the health professional referring you has your most up to date contact information.
Your named contact
Your patient navigator will be your first point of contact.  They will arrange appointments, answer queries about tests and ensure that your journey runs as smoothly as possible.
What matters to you
We want you to be fully involved in decisions about your care. What matters to you is important and we will discuss options with you every step of the way.
Your medical historyÂ
The team will go through your medical history and ask questions about your existing symptoms and general wellbeing, to ensure you receive the best possible care and support. To help the team decide which tests you need, please have a note of your recent medical history and current medication to hand.
Asking the right questionsÂ
Asking your healthcare professionals the right questions will help you decide the tests and treatments that are right for you. We therefore encourage you to ask the BRAN questions at your appointment.
- What are the Benefits?
- What are the Risks?
- What are the Alternatives?
- What if I do Nothing?
You may of course have additional questions of your own, but asking these questions will help you and your healthcare partner to understand the implications of your treatment and make an informed decision on how to proceed.
Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan
The team will decide whether or not you need a CT scan and will arrange this for you. They will tell you the location, date and time of your appointment by telephone in advance. You will then go to hospital for your scan.
After your appointment
We will call you by telephone or a Near Me online video call to discuss the results of your CT scan. The result will be fed back to you within 21 days. The team will then send you to the appropriate cancer team or the appropriate non-cancer team, depending on what was found on the scan. If you do not need to be seen by a specialist, you will be referred back to your GP practice to the health care professional who referred you.
Your Feedback – comments, concerns and complaints
NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the service it provides to patients and their families. We therefore want to hear from you about your experience. If you would like to tell us about this please visit our feedback page.
