Rapid cancer diagnostic services (RCDSs)

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services provide primary care with a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer such as fatigue, nausea and weight loss.

In 2021, three early adopter sites were established in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Dumfries & Galloway and NHS Fife. In 2023, NHS Borders and NHS Lanarkshire established a RCDS with NHS Forth Valley going live with referrals in 2025.

The RCDS Implementation Guide aims to support Health Boards in establishing their RCDS, by highlighting key components and elements that ensure an effective RCDS model is delivered. Existing RCDSs have shared relevant education materials, pathway examples, protocols and job descriptions to avoid duplication of efforts.

The University of Strathclyde was commissioned to evaluate Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to better understand their role in detecting cancer and to ensure optimal components are embedded in future models. A final report was published in 2024.

We would like to thank colleagues in the Boards named above for contributing to this Implementation Guide - for further information on this, or RCDSs more generally, please contact CfSD’s Cancer Improvement & Earlier Diagnosis Team via cfsdcancerandedteam@nhs.scot.