Summary

Description

This sixth annual report of the National Head and Neck Cancer Audit includes a total of 6458 new cases (6133 from England and 325 from Wales) diagnosed between November 2009 and October 2010. Case ascertainment continues to improve each year and is now estimated at around 97 per cent for England. This is despite some networks falling below 70 per cent of expected numbers, with two Trusts not participating at all. We are sponsored by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) to manage and provide the technical infrastructure for the National Head and Neck Cancer Audit. The audit has been developed in partnership with the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists (BAHNO) who provide the clinical direction and specialist clinical input. The Audit will allow national assessment of outcomes and provide a tool to improve the standard of care, identifying areas of good practice to teams delivering head and neck cancer care.