Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) welcomed representatives from Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE) to learn more about the Trust's innovative lung cancer service and the collaborative approach to faster, high-quality patient-centred care.
The visit provided an opportunity for colleagues from across the lung cancer pathway to showcase the innovative, collaborative working that has helped WWL consistently exceed national standards for timely diagnosis and patient experience during what is often one of the most anxious periods of their lives.
WWL has consistently achieved the national Faster Diagnosis Standard, which requires 80% of patients to receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of referral. In March 2026, the Trust achieved 94.7%, reflecting the effectiveness of its coordinated approach to care.
The LuCE representatives were given an overview of the service and met colleagues involved at every stage of the patient journey. They praised the team's commitment to delivering personalised care, and for their dedication and culture of collaboration.
Venencia Rayson, Lead Clinical Specialist Nurse for Lung Cancer Services at WWL, said: "It was fantastic to showcase the work we do across the whole pathway and demonstrate the commitment of everyone involved.
“Every improvement we make is about reducing the burden on patients and their families. By bringing teams together and streamlining the pathway, we can minimise unnecessary appointments, reduce waiting times and help patients receive answers and treatment sooner.
“The LuCE team were particularly impressed by the collaboration and patient-centred approach that underpins the care we provide."
The visit followed Venencia's attendance at the Lung Cancer Europe Conference in Vienna earlier this year, where she represented Lung Cancer Nursing UK (LCNUK) as a committee member and shared examples of best practice from WWL.
During the conference, she was invited to participate in LuCE's Get Checked 2026 campaign, which promotes awareness of lung cancer symptoms and encourages people to seek medical advice as early as possible.
Venencia highlighted WWL's diagnostic pathway, which enables patients with suspected lung cancer to move quickly through investigations before their case is reviewed by the dedicated multidisciplinary team (MDT). This approach helps to reduce appointments, shortens waiting times and provides patients with a more coordinated, supportive experience.
She said: "Representing LCNUK at the LuCE Conference in Vienna gave me an opportunity not only to learn from lung cancer services across Europe, but also to share the positive work happening here in Wigan. I was particularly proud to talk about our dedicated multidisciplinary team and how putting patients at the centre of the pathway can make a real difference to their experience at what can be an extremely worrying and uncertain time.”
LuCE representative, Laura Jones, said: “We came away from our visit with so much more understanding of what happens across the lung cancer pathway, and especially of just how much work, thought and coordination goes into the care of every single person. It was eye-opening to see the level of detail involved and how closely everyone works together.”
The visit highlighted the expertise, innovation and dedication of colleagues across WWL's lung cancer service, demonstrating how multidisciplinary working is helping patients receive faster diagnoses and more coordinated care.