Lung cancer Quality Performance Indicators
Patients diagnosed from January 2019 to December 2021

An Official Statistics publication for Scotland

Published: 28 February 2023 (Latest release)
Type: Unclassified
Author: Public Health Scotland

Cancer

About this release

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

Main points

There were 4,940 people diagnosed with Lung Cancer in Scotland in 2021. This is an increase on the 4,555 diagnosed in 2020 but a decrease from 5,136 in 2019.
The reductions in 2020 numbers are likely to be due to lockdown and social distancing measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic with lung cancer diagnoses in 2021 not quite returning to pre-pandemic levels.
At Scotland level for 2021, the target was met for 18 of the 25 indicators.
QPI 7 Lymph Node Assessment and QPI 13(i), (ii) 30 and 90 day mortality - surgery are not shown above as the data is at hospital level. The targets were met nationally throughout.
Some of the QPI targets have proved challenging to achieve over the three years (QPIs relating to Pre-treatment diagnosis and Brain imaging).

NHS Scotland performance against lung quality performance indicators for 2019, 2020 and 2021.

QPI 1 : 95% target not met in 19 but met in 20 and 21.
QPI 2(i) : 80% target not met throughout.
QPI 2(ii) : 90% target met throughout.
QPI 2(iii) : 75% target met in 19. QPI no longer in use in 20 or 21.
QPI 2(iv) : QPI was not established in 19. 80% target met in 20 and 21.
QPI 4 : 95% target met in 19 but not in 21. QPI was not in use in 20.
QPI 5: QPI was not established in 19 or 20. 80% target not met in 21.
QPI 6(i): 20% target met throughout.
QPI 6(ii): 60% target met throughout.
QPI 8 : 35% target met throughout.
QPI 9: 50% target met throughout.
QPI 10: 70% target not met in 19 but met in 20 and 21.
QPI 11(i): 35% target met in 19 and 21. QPI was not in use in 20.
QPI 11(ii): 60% target met in 19. 80% target met in 21. QPI not in use in 20.
QPI 11(iii): QPI not established in 19 or 20. 40% target met in 21.
QPI 12(i): 70% target met throughout.
QPI 12(ii): 50% target met throughout.
QPI 13(i): 30 day mortality - Biological Therapy NSCLC <10% target met in 19. QPI not in use in 20 or 21.
QPI 13(i): 30 day mortality - Biological Therapy SCLC <15% target met in 19. QPI not in use in 20 or 21.
QPI 13(i): 30 day mortality - Chemoradiotherapy QPI not established in 19. <5% target met in 20 and 21.
QPI 13(i): 30 day mortality - Radical Radiotherapy <5% target met throughout.
QPI 13(ii): 90 day mortality - Chemoradiotherapy QPI not established in 19. <5% target not met in 20 or 21.
QPI 13(ii) 90 day mortality - Radical Radiotherapy <5% target not met in 19 but met in 20 and 21.
QPI 14: 35% target met throughout.
QPI 15(i): 75% target not met throughout.
QPI 15(ii): 75% target not met throughout.
QPI 15(iii): 75% target met in 19. QPI not in use in 20 or 21.
QPI 16: 95% target not met throughout.

QPI 4 PET CT is recognised to have been very ambitious and was not expected to be fulfilled in the first years but represents our ambition to do better and get under 10 days.
QPI 5 staging is expected to improve with new funding having been obtained to develop and deliver a simulator based national EBUS and bronchoscopy training program.
Particular areas of strong service performance were seen in relation to Surgical resection rate, Systemic anti cancer therapy in NSCLC and Chemotherapy in SCLC.

Background

National cancer QPIs 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 jointly by North Cancer Alliance, South East Scotland Cancer Network, West of Scotland Cancer Network, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and PHS.

Further information

The Cancer QPIs dashboard is restricted and may be accessed with permission via https://useraccess.nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk
Network Reports on Lung QPIs: NCA, SCAN and WoSCAN
QPI Definitions and updates on Lung Cancer indicators
PHS QPI Publications

The next release of this publication will be February 2026.

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Older versions of this publication

Versions of this publication released before 16 March 2020 may be found on the Data and Intelligence, Health Protection Scotland or Improving Health websites.