Thirty-One-Day Target: Surgery as a Subsequent Treatment

Thirty-One-Day Target: Surgery as a Subsequent Treatment

A cancer target (standard) promulgated by the NHS as of 2009, which requires that all subsequent surgical treatments (not just the first definitive treatment) are subject to a 31-day standard (target—i.e., the patient receiving surgery post neo-adjuvant chemo/radiotherapy must receive the surgery within 31 days of the decision to treat surgically has been made). As with the other post-2009 targets, the cancer care team cannot adjust for patient non-attendance (did not attend—DNA), patient cancellation or medical suspension. Pauses (“stopping the clock”) are only allowed for patients being treated electively (i.e., as an inpatient or day case).