Part of 2026 webinars FAQs
South West Region
The following questions and answers were collated from the South West webinars, held on the 04 February 2026.
Summary
The following questions and answers were collated from the South West webinars, held on the 04 February 2026.
Care Professional
Q. Is it feasible to collect new mandatory care professional codes for large numbers of staff?
A. The panel clarified that the change was mandated by NHS England, and initially, consultant GMC codes would suffice. However, the changes will futureproof SACT for other professionals in the future to be included where appropriate.
Regimen and Dose Modification
Q. Clarification was sought on the definition and recording of ‘upfront dose modification’.
A. The panel explained that this refers to modifications planned before treatment starts, while modifications during treatment are recorded per drug and cycle.
Q. If we select 'Yes' for a modification indicator, does this make all cascading fields mandatory?
A. No, only the immediate next field becomes mandatory, with further requirements depending on the selected option, as detailed in the user guide.
System supplier concerns
Q. Does our system suppliers’ ability to implement changes create a risk of non-compliance?
A. The panel advised maintaining close communication with the NDRS team and provided reassurances about ongoing supplier engagement and exception handling. No Trust will be penalised if the supplier is at fault.
Q. What happens if there are supplier delays and issues with training resources?
A. It is recommended that all Trusts have direct engagement with suppliers for updates and training documentation and the availability of user guides and ongoing support from the NDRS team were highlighted as essential resources for Trusts to use.
Q. What support is there around communication and scheduling of testing and upgrades with suppliers?
A. Ongoing engagement with all system suppliers was recommended, to ensure readiness for SACT v4.0. Trusts are advised to maintain direct communication with their suppliers and keep their DLM (James) informed of any scheduling or capacity issues that may affect upgrade timelines.
Q. We are concerned around compliance, especially if this is not our fault.
A. The panel advised that Trusts must continue submitting SACT v3.0 data until SACT v4.0 is signed off. After local upgrade, test files must be submitted to James and the loading team for validation before SACT v4.0 submissions are accepted. Non-compliance due to supplier delays will not be penalised if communicated.
Flexibility and Support
Q. We are concerned about our ability to collect all the data items within the new data set, is this a problem?
A. The panel explained that while all fields in SACT v4.0 are desirable, not all are mandatory for every patient, and flexibility exists regarding which data items can be provided initially. Trusts are encouraged to work with their DLM to report what they can supply and to gradually increase completeness.
Concerns About Increased Workload
Q. We are Concerned about the increased workload from additional data items, especially toxicity and dose modification.
A. The panel addressed these questions by clarifying mandatory requirements, offering flexibility, and encouraging ongoing dialogue to manage the impact.
Q. We are concerned about the potential burden of recording new data items, particularly toxicity and dose modifications, in busy clinical settings.
A. The new modification and toxicity fields are only required if relevant to the patient, and not all new items must be completed for every record. The user guide provides detailed instructions and flow diagrams to assist with correct data entry.
Q. We are concerned about the practicality of collecting high-quality data without additional resources.
A. Trusts should communicate any difficulties in collecting specific data items, and that the NDRS team will support gradual implementation and work with Trusts to improve data completeness over time.
Guidance and Example Data
Q. Please could we have clarification around technical issues, documentation and if possible some example data for SACT v4.0?
A. There are user guides, technical documentation, and dummy datasets to support local implementation and reporting. Please speak to your DLM for this and use the SACT website to download documentation.
Q. Please could synthetic example data for SACT v4.0 be made available?
A. Dummy data and supporting documents are available and can be provided upon request to assist with internal reporting and system testing.
Last edited: 25 March 2026 9:12 am
