by Emma Francombe

Professor Greg Rubin, of the School of Medicine and Health at Durham, has been appointed as the first ever Clinical Lead for Cancer for the Royal College of General Practitioners and Cancer Research UK.

He will lead a new five-year partnership between the organisations aiming to recognise the role of the GPs in the initial stages of primary cancer care.

Professor Greg Rubin said: “I’m delighted to have been chosen to lead this important initiative. Making cancer its first enduring priority sends a clear signal of the College’s commitment to high quality care in this field.

“In the past few years, we have come to understand just how important a part GPs play in the diagnosis as well as the after-care of patients with cancer.  I will be working with the NHS, the cancer charities and others so that the Royal College of GPs can add value to the good work that is already being done”.

Cancer is the first of the Royal College of GPs’ new ‘enduring priorities’: a five-year programme that focuses on conditions with a large impact on public health and public health policy. The College will work in close partnership with Cancer Research UK and with other key stakeholders for the duration of the programme and aims to develop and identify areas for improvement in cancer diagnosis and care in relation to GPs.

Professor Rubin will undertake this new position alongside his duties within the University, but he also leads the National Audit of Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, which has discovered that 75 per cent of cancer sufferers are assessed, investigated and referred within a month of presenting to their GP.

Sara Hiom, Director of Information at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re delighted to be a part of this unique and important partnership and congratulate Greg on his appointment.

“The GP is the first port of call for the majority of patients with symptoms that could be cancer, which highlights the vital role GPs play in cancer diagnosis.  Cancer Research UK is committed to saving more lives from cancer, and ensuring the disease is caught as early as possible is a priority to achieve this. By working together with the Royal College of GPs, through this programme, we aim to develop ways to help doctors confidently diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage and ultimately save more lives”.