In the past four years, there has been a sharp increase in the length of time patients must wait for cancer treatment.
In England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the number of patients waiting longer than the target time of 62 days for therapy has surpassed 69,000 in the past year, which is twice as many as during the same period in 2017-18.
In Wales, wait times are also getting longer, but data do not go back that far.
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It indicates the proportion of cancer patients who had to wait longer than 62 days for treatment.
These delays are “traumatic and life-threatening.
Steven McIntosh of Macmillan Cancer Support stated that the delays were “traumatic” and that people were “living with fear and anxiety every day.
He stated that the situation was “unacceptable” and could even be affecting the probability of survival.
“The NHS is chronically understaffed,” he said. “The NHS lacks the personnel necessary to diagnose cancer, provide surgery and treatment, and offer care, support, and rehabilitation.”
Mr. McIntosh warned that there would be additional delays and disruptions if the chancellor’s November budget did not at least keep pace with inflation.
In the meantime, the most recent monthly data from NHS England revealed a further decline in emergency care and an increase in hospital waiting lists.
Charlotte Park is one of the cancer patients with a lengthy treatment wait. In June 2020, she visited her physician after discovering a lump in her breast.
Her primary care physician referred her to the local breast clinic. Ms. Park, a fifty-year-old resident of North Yorkshire, was supposed to be seen within two weeks, but when that deadline passed, she called only to be told there was a backlog.
She eventually received an appointment after three and a half weeks, but only after contacting her primary care physician to see if they could assist her.
She was then diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, but chemotherapy could not begin until September.
Thankfully, she is currently in remission.
However, she stated, “It was so aggravating. I felt as if I were constantly hitting my head against a brick wall. I was under a tremendous amount of stress.”
“At one point, I thought I was going to die. Waiting causes a great deal of anxiety. Unfortunately, there are so many people in this situation.”
Macmillan has also expressed concern that thousands of cases may still be missing.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been more than 30,000 fewer diagnoses than anticipated.
This has been attributed to the disruption of services at the onset of the pandemic, as well as people’s reluctance to report symptoms out of fear of Covid or a desire not to burden the NHS.
Recent data indicates that the number of cancer screening referrals has reached a record high.
However, as shown by the analysis of treatment waiting times, there are still delays in treating these patients.
Surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are used as treatments.
The opening of a network of 90 community diagnostic centers in England is expected to expedite the diagnostic process.
However, according to cancer specialists, the major bottleneck that needs to be addressed is the wait time after treatment, with staffing shortages seen as a major issue.
According to the Royal College of Radiologists, there is a 17% shortage of cancer doctors who supervise chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the United Kingdom.
Tom Roques of the Royal College stated, “Staff is the key to fixing this problem.” “We urgently need a fully-funded workforce plan for the NHS that will recruit and retain the appropriate number of staff so that patients can be treated as quickly as possible,”
Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary for the Labour Party, who had kidney cancer but is now cancer-free after having one kidney removed, stated: “It is terrifying that so many cancer patients are not receiving timely treatment when every day counts.
Having undergone treatment for kidney cancer this year, I understand the significance of a prompt diagnosis and treatment.
However, Dame Cally Palmer, the national cancer director for the National Health Service (NHS) in England, stated that the “hard work” of staff was allowing the system to catch up in terms of getting people in for screenings.
However, she stated that she was determined to ensure diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.
We will continue our efforts to detect cancers sooner and save more lives.
