Acute leukaemia Quality Performance Indicators
Patients diagnosed from July 2020 to June 2023

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents performance against the National Acute Leukaemia Quality Performance Indicators (QPIs) in the Cancer QPIs dashboard held within the Scottish Cancer Registry and Intelligence Service (SCRIS).

Main points

• There were 779 patients diagnosed with Acute Leukaemia in Scotland between July 2020 and June 2023. This is an increase from the previous years (715 diagnosed from July 2017 to June 2020 and 745 from July 2014 to June 2017).
• At Scotland level for 2020/23, the target was met for eight of the 13 indicators.

NHS Scotland performance against Acute Leukaemia quality performance indicators for Jul 20 to Jun 23. QPI 1: 90% target met in 20/23. QPI 3: 95% target not met in 20/23. QPI 5(i): <8% target for age 16 to 60 and <18% target for age over 60 met for 21/23. QPI 5(ii): <8% target for age 16 to 60 and <20% target for age over 60 met for 21/23. QPI 7: <10% target met in 20/23. QPI 8: 25% target not met in 20/23. QPI 9: 90% target not met in 21/23. QPI 10(i): 30% target met in 21/23. QPI 10(ii): 25% target not met in 21/23. QPI 12: 40% target not met in 21/23. QPI 13: <25% target met in 20/23.

Close

Acute Leukaemia QPIs

• Some QPIs are reported for two years of the three-year period only, as a result of changes in measurement, meaning that numbers for 2020/21 were excluded, since they were not directly comparable to 2021/2022 and 2022/23 (for QPIs 5, 9, 10 and 12).
• Those QPIs assessing clinical outcomes of patients such as mortality following diagnosis or treatment were largely met (QPIs 5, 7 and 13).
• Performance against QPIs focussing on enrolment of patients into clinical trials (QPIs 8 & 10(ii)) was lower nationally as recruitment is dependent on the availability of suitable trials. Some of the key national acute leukaemia clinical trials closed during this period.
• The results presented show that some of the QPI targets have been challenging to achieve. However, given the small numbers included within the measurement of the majority of indicators, percentages should be compared with caution.

Background

National cancer quality performance indicators have been developed to support continuous quality improvement in cancer care (CEL 06 2012). NHS Boards are required to report these indicators against a clinically agreed indicator specific target as part of the mandatory national cancer quality programme. They have been developed collaboratively by North Cancer Alliance, South East Scotland Cancer Network, West of Scotland Cancer Network, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and PHS. Figures are gathered and recorded in the central database by specialised cancer audit teams in the cancer networks.  

Further information

The QPI publications look at a three year period and for that reason the next release of this publication will be in July 2027.