Quality standard
Quality statements
Quality statements
Statement 1 Integrated care boards work with local partners to implement strategies to raise awareness of skin cancer and the risks of over-exposure to sunlight and exposure to artificial UV light, particularly for people in at-risk groups. [new 2024]
Statement 2 People with suspected melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma or a rare skin cancer are referred for an assessment using a suspected cancer pathway to have a diagnosis confirmed or ruled out within 28 days of referral. [2016, updated 2024]
Statement 3 People with suspected melanoma undergoing a specialist assessment have the lesion examined using dermoscopy. [2016, updated 2024]
Statement 4 People with melanoma, high-risk squamous cell carcinoma or a rare skin cancer have access to a skin cancer clinical nurse specialist. [2016, updated 2024]
Statement 5 People with stage IIB to IV primary melanoma have BRAF analysis of the tumour. [2016, updated 2024]
Statement 6 People with stage IIC to IV melanoma have a staging scan. [new 2024]
In 2024 this quality standard was updated and statements prioritised in 2016 were updated (2016, updated 2024) or replaced (new 2024). For more information, see update information.
The previous version of the quality standard for skin cancer is available as a pdf.