Setting up a nurse-led bowel 'two week wait' service

Patients who present to their GP with 'red flag' symptoms for possible bowel cancer (such as change in bowel habit or rectal bleeding) are urgently referred to an acute trust as a '2 week wait' (2WW) patient and require assessment and investigation in an efficient and timely manner. The burden that is created by ever increasing numbers of referrals requires a service that is reliable and flexible in meeting demand. This article presents the development of a nurse-led 2WW service that was implemented as a direct result of this pressure. The development of the national guideline is discussed and the rationale for a nurse-led service is provided, along with the processes followed to ensure patient safety. The inclusion of a telephone side to service provision is also examined and the challenges faced by the team are discussed.