Cancer

Adapted from the NICE Guidelines 2005

View the navigation panel to the left for each of the Suspected Cancer Two Week Wait Rules

Ensure patients receive a patient information leaflet explaining the two week wait rule referral

The NICE clinical guideline on referral for suspected cancer (CG27, June 2005) is aimed at helping general practitioners (GPs) make decisions about when to refer people to specialists when they present with symptoms that could be caused by cancer. The guideline is not about treating cancer.

The referral timelines used in the guideline are as follows:

Immediate

• An acute admission or referral occurring within a few hours, or even more quickly if necessary

Urgent

• The patient is seen within the national target for urgent referrals (currently two weeks)

Non-urgent

• All other referrals