Ovarian cancer, Lombardy's network of doc centres with anti-waiting list strategy

"We want to guarantee the highest quality care, in centres with proven experience and adequate volumes, according to European standards of excellence. The concentration of ovarian cancer surgery in selected facilities means greater safety, better clinical outcomes, and more appropriate pathways. At the same time we are working on reducing waiting times and organising dedicated agendas, because timeliness is an integral part of the quality of care'. This is how the Lombardy Region's Welfare Councillor describes the mini-revolution entrusted to the resolution that bears his signature, with which a network of centres of excellence for the surgical management of ovarian cancer is launched. An 'exclusive' network, so to speak, in the sense that only the selected facilities are authorised to operate under the National Health Service. But that's not all: the network also addresses the plague of waiting lists, which is fundamental in the case of diseases dependent on rapid diagnosis and treatment such as oncological diseases.

On the basis of the criteria established by the technical document, a network has therefore been identified, which for the time being has nine facilities, all of which are already a reference point for patients arriving in Lombardy from all over Italia and who will thus have one more compass to guide them. As of 1 April, public and private contractually accredited facilities that are not included in the list will not be able to provide ovarian cancer resection surgery at the expense of the National Health Service.

This is the qualifying 'shortlist' of excellence: European Institute of Oncology (Milan); Irccs Foundation National Institute of Tumours (Milan); Irccs Hospital San Raffaele (Milan); Del Ponte Hospital, Asst Sette Laghi (Varese); Irccs Foundation San Gerardo dei Tintori (Monza); Humanitas San Pio X (Milan); Spedali Civili di Brescia-Asst Spedali Civili (Brescia); Irccs Foundation Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia); Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII-Asst Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bergamo).

The resolution, as the Lombardy Region points out, "defines a highly specialised model of assistance in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment, both surgical and medical, of gynaecological neoplasms, identifying objective criteria for the identification of reference centres, in line with the recommendations of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (Esgo) and consistent with national and international standards of excellence". The construction of the Lombardy network also includes interventions aimed at managing waiting times, with structured scheduling of outpatient services, both pre- and post-intervention, and the guarantee of dedicated agendas by healthcare providers. The aim is to ensure greater appropriateness, continuity and timeliness of care pathways, further strengthening the effectiveness of the regional care provision.

The network of centres will be expandable as well as subject to constant monitoring: the facilities that wish to be part of it will have to follow a precise procedure, and the Welfare General Directorate has a mandate to assess their acceptance in relation to epidemiological evolution and consistency with the regional health programming. And the same DG will verify once a year, in liaison with the territorial reference companies, that the identified centres maintain the qualitative and quantitative requirements, with the possibility of integration or modification of the list.