A nurse-led service at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) has been praised for its "safe, effective, and highly efficient" patient care.

The Lung Nodule service, which began in late 2022, is made up of two specialist nurses and an administrator.

Lung nodules are small growths in the lung, often seen on CT scans.

While more than 90 per cent of these nodules are harmless, some may develop into small lung cancers.

Early diagnosis can lead to treatment before they spread, potentially saving lives.

The nurses and administrator work with respiratory physicians and thoracic radiologists to analyse CT images and decide whether patients can be discharged or need further scans or referrals.

Professor Andrew Brent, chief medical officer at OUH, said: "It is important and appreciated that our teams find innovative solutions to make our services efficient and reduce patient waiting times.

"We are thrilled to see the positive impact of the lung nodule service, and are excited to see further improvements across it."

The team receives an average of 80 referrals a month from OUH clinicians and GPs.

The nurses discuss complex cases, possible cancers, and growing nodules with the respiratory and radiology consultants and make further action plans as needed.

The service is largely virtual, but there is clinic time twice a week to see patients face-to-face and discuss more complex cases.

The service initially had a six-month backlog, which was cleared within months.

It has been recognised for its delivery and development, with a service template for other similar centres across the country to use.

This will benefit patients and ensure consistency of service, with an improvement in lung cancer detection rates and cost savings.

Adedamola Falolu, one of the specialist nurses, said: "Running the service would not have been possible without the encouragement and dedication of the radiologists who took out time to teach us initially, and the continued support from the respiratory and radiology teams."

The team recently showcased their service model at the British Thoracic Oncology Group Annual Conference 2024 in Belfast and the European Respiratory Society Conference 2024 in Vienna.

They are also set to present at the British Thoracic Society Conference in London.

Rachel Benamore, lead consultant radiologist for the service, said: "I'm extremely proud of the service that we have built with the nodule navigators, who provide safe and effective care for our patients.

"The service has proved to be immensely helpful in reducing waiting time for patients, which is really important at what can be quite a worrying time for them."