This page gives GPs and other healthcare professionals information about referring patients to the North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service.
Referral criteria
We see patients with a palpable lump that meets any of the following criteria:
- increasing in size
- painful
- deep to the fascia
- greater than 5cm in diameter
- recurring after previous excision should be referred under the two-week rule.
Patients with x-rays which are suspicious of a malignant or aggressive process should also be referred under the two week rule.
Patients with undiagnosed bony pain should receive an x-ray. If the x-ray is normal but pain persists, consider following up and repeating the x-ray, performing bone function tests or making a non-urgent referral.
Patients with imaging findings suggestive of an abdominal or retroperitoneal sarcoma should be referred urgently without biopsy to the abdominal and retroperitoneal sarcoma team
GP referrals
Please use e:referral for both ‘two week waits’ and ‘non-urgents’
How to make a GP referralHospital referrals
Sarcoma MDT
- Write a referral letter addressed to the Bone & Soft Tissue Service
- Download and complete this form:
- Scan the completed form and send with the referral letter to [email protected]
Members of the team are happy to discuss cases by telephone. MDTM outcomes will be sent to your nhs.net account.
For more information about referring to the North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service contact:
Telephone: 0191 223 1202
Metastatic Bone Disease (MBD) Referrals
For patients with suspected or confirmed MBD please discuss the case with your trust’s designated lead for MBD first as per the list on our webpage. If you still require advice then please send the proforma available on the intranet to our MBD coordinator by email at [email protected]. Internal referrals can be sent by internal post to Tracy Little or Rachel Graydon.
Please ensure all relevant imaging is transferred to the NUTH PACS server and that all relevant investigations are completed otherwise the form will be sent back to you. Cases are discussed on an ad hoc basis and triage based on urgency. We will aim to respond by the next working day and at the latest by the end of the working week.
Local MBD leads:
Northumbria – I Carluke / M Sangster
Gateshead – J Loughead
Cumbria – JS Jayadeep
South Tyneside and Sunderland – S Green / M Krishnan
Durham and Darlington – S Thomas
Middlesborough and South Tees NHS foundation trust; North Tees – S Jameson
