DHSC announces launch of FDP tool to improve cancer diagnosis

A cancer diagnostic tool will be rolled out across the NHS to help cut treatment delays and boost survival rates, the government has announced.

The Cancer 360 tool, which is built into the federated data platform (FDP), creates a dashboard which shows clinicians patient information, such as test data, appointments and treatments.

Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS national clinical transformation director, said: “Every cancer patient deserves swift, effective care, and our new Cancer 360 solution harnesses data to ensure exactly that.

“By giving clinicians a comprehensive view of patient pathways, we can identify and address delays immediately.

“The NHS FDP is already showing its value in transforming cancer care, helping our hard-working staff deliver better outcomes while reducing administrative burden.”

According to a press release, published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 4 May 2025, the technology will benefit millions of cancer patients over the next five to 10 years.

Cancer 360 is aimed at helping teams to easily track a patient’s progress, avert delays, and produce personalised treatment plans.

It is also expected to reduce paperwork and help ensure vital warning signs are not missed.

Pilots of the tool have been carried out at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Royal United Hospital Bath.

Suraiya Abdi, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust said: “The implementation of Cancer 360 has enabled my team to monitor and safely carry our patients through their cancer pathway.

“The tool enables us to have in depth conversations at our weekly meetings regarding a patient’s next step as well as allowing us to escalate queries directly to other teams for faster turnaround.

“The tool has reduced the amount of admin time spent by our cancer team therefore enabling them to focus on the patient journey.”

The investment comes from the Autumn Budget, which included £1bn for digital transformation projects and £121 million for the FDP.

Hospitals using the FDP have typically performed 70,000 more procedures and reduced unnecessary hospital stays by almost 19% since April 2024, according to DHSC.

In February 2025, NHS England announced three other FDP services coming in 2025, including Patient Led Validation, which will “empower patients by giving them direct control over confirming their waiting list status, increasing transparency and improving their experience”.

The Diagnostics Imaging Scheduler which will “streamline diagnostic processes” and optimise scheduling, and the Timely Care Hub which will “provide a centralised, real-time view of ward and site activities”, enabling better informed decisions and smoother care coordination.

Meanwhile, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is running user acceptance testing for a Referral to Treatment (RTT) clinical letters validation tool on the FDP, according to the April 2025 FDP bulletin from NHSE.

The bulletin added that 108 hospital trusts and 41 integrated care boards have signed up to the FDP.

The NHSE 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, published in January 2025, mandates that all systems adhere to an ‘FDP first’ policy, connecting their own digital and data infrastructure to the FDP.