Concluding comments

SCRIS forms the backbone of the Scottish Cancer Intelligence Framework, offering a new approach for cancer intelligence in Scotland. A single point of entry to national cancer data enables more efficient and timely access to the information needed for service planning and patient care.

SCRIS takes a Learning Healthcare System approach whereby clinicians and departments can improve what they are offering patients through benchmarking with other parts of Scotland. For treatment data such as SACT, this is in line with the move towards the general ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to cancer patient management.

The experience, challenges and successes of developing SCRIS have highlighted the importance of engagement with the full range of stakeholders from the outset. Understanding user requirements early, securing the time of expert collaborators and building the appropriate governance structures to support delivery are also essential. Underpinning all of this this with an effective communications strategy ensures that stakeholders are fully informed of progress and that their contributions are recognised.