New RCR guidance calls for peer review of tumour contouring to be universally adopted and supported by oncology bosses

The Royal College of Radiologists has released new guidance to help clinical oncology teams, department leads and commissioners understand the importance of second opinions in tumour contouring, urging the practice to be universally adopted and subject to protected working time.

The document, Radiotherapy target volume definition and peer review calls for all UK oncology departments to implement systematic peer review of all individualised and non-routine target volume definitions, as well as retrospective quality assurance sampling.

It sets out a number of recommendations designed to embed peer review into UK clinical oncology practice, including:

• Protected time in consultant job plans to undertake peer review of target volume definitions
• Standardised protocols for target volume definition in individual departments and across oncology clinical networks
• Proper investment in the IT and resourcing needed to facilitate virtual peer review by off-site clinicians

People with learning disabilities facing long waits for care reviews

Public accounts committee finds just 39% of learning disability inpatients received care and treatment reviews within six months.

Health services are struggling to deliver care reviews designed to make sure learning disabled people are not being inappropriately kept in hospital units, a group of MPs has warned.

The public accounts committee found just 39% of the estimated 2,500 patients affected had received care and treatment reviews within the six month timescale stipulated by NHS England policy. One in five who were in hospital as of February 2017 had received no review at all, although this had improved from 47% in January 2016.