Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a rapid surgical pathway at Churchill Hospital in Oxford for selected patients with pancreatic or lower bile duct cancer.
The approach has substantially shortened the period between diagnosis and operation for some patients.
Average waits of between 40 and 60 days have fallen to approximately 14 to 16 days under the new pathway.
Phil Hammond, 74, from near Bedford, entered the pathway after his wife, Ruth, noticed that the whites of his eyes had become yellow.
It was his first hospital admission, and he initially felt apprehensive and frightened, but those concerns were quickly eased by the care he received.
He described the speed of receiving both his diagnosis and treatment as making the experience less overwhelming and expressed lasting gratitude towards the surgeons, doctors and nurses involved.
Scans later identified a mass in Hammond’s pancreas, and he underwent a Whipple procedure only 10 days afterwards.
The pathway had been established in March 2025 and had supported about 80 procedures by the time of his treatment.
It is intended for people whose pancreatic or lower bile duct cancer has caused jaundice through a blocked bile duct and who are fit to proceed directly to surgery without further treatment or preparation.
Such patients would ordinarily have a separate stent insertion before an operation.
The rapid route enables them to proceed straight to surgery, shortening delays and potentially limiting complications.
Michael Silva, a consultant surgeon at OUH who leads clinical services for hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, said Hammond was recovering well.
He said the case illustrated how the new system could accelerate access to major surgery.
Silva also highlighted the need for close cooperation, rapid communication, specialist diagnostics and strong coordination between surgical and nursing teams.
OUH chief operating officer Felicity Taylor-Drewe said the pathway demonstrated how staff were changing working practices to improve care and reduce treatment waits.
She credited those involved in developing and delivering the service with a strong commitment to patient care.