Mexborough Montagu tops bowel cancer league

The National Bowel Cancer Audit 2012 analysed data on 30,000 patients treated for the condition in hospitals in England and Wales between August 2010 and July 2011.

It found that Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was the top-performing trust in the Yorkshire, Humberside and North Trent region at detecting bowel cancer early enough to avoid having to perform emergency surgery.  

Consultant surgeon John Bagley said: “Overall, this report shows we’re doing pretty well in comparison with the national average and our peers in this region.  

“Patients have a good team of specialists around them, working together to offer them a choice of treatments and ensure that they benefit from the full range of relevant expertise and input into their care.   

“They are also much more likely to be diagnosed early enough for their care to be planned, rather than needing emergency surgery.”

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals was also one of the top trusts in the whole of England and Wales for ensuring that bowel cancer patients were under the care of the full team of relevant specialists, as recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).  

Mortality rates 90 days after surgery were also well below the national average - the observed rate was just 3.2 per cent, compared with a national average of five per cent.