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Long waiting times for cancer treatment are commonplace across the UK, with almost half of specialist cancer centres experiencing delays every week, according to the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
The college has warned of an “imminent crisis” in the cancer care workforce, with “alarming” shortages of 30 per cent for radiologists and 15 per cent for clinical oncologists.
The Conservatives said that if re-elected they would achieve England's current targets for cancer care by the end of the next Parliament.
Labour has said it would double the number of scanners to improve early detection, while the Liberal Democrats have said they would introduce a legal guarantee in England that all patients can start treatment within 62 days of emergency referral.
“There aren't enough doctors”
The RCR report is based on responses from senior managers of 60 specialist cancer centres in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A survey carried out in November 2023 found that the number of centres experiencing serious delays had almost doubled in a year.
Administrators at 47% of facilities said patients needing chemotherapy or other cancer drugs face delays “almost every week or every week,” up from 28% of facilities reporting delays the previous year.
The number of centers reporting weekly radiation therapy delays also nearly doubled, from 22% in 2022 to 43% in 2023.
Nearly all clinical directors surveyed said staffing shortages were causing the backlog.
“There are not enough doctors to safely manage the growing number of patients and this problem will only get worse as demand continues to rise and more doctors leave the NHS,” said Dr Catherine Halliday, chair of the RCR.
Health systems across the four UK nations were falling short of their cancer care targets even before the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest NHS data from March showed that 69% of patients in England were waiting less than 62 days to receive their first cancer treatment, compared with a target of 85%.
New analysis from Cancer Research UK has found that 382,000 cancer patients in England have not received treatment within the required time frame since December 2015, when targets were last met.
The charity is calling on the next government to develop a long-term cancer strategy for England that includes plans to address the cancer workforce shortage and build capacity in the system.
“All political parties should commit to a long-term, fully funded strategy to support cancer research across the UK and improve and reform cancer services in England,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.
“Without this, cancer patients will not receive the level of care they deserve.”
NHS England said the number of patients waiting more than 62 days for treatment was at its lowest since April 2020, and that it was also meeting another target of diagnosing or ruling out cancer within 28 days.
Image source: Family photo
Image caption: Rosemary Head has faced multiple delays in her cancer treatment over the past year.
Rosemary Head, 83, from Langdon Hills, Essex, said she had to wait eight months to be diagnosed with lung cancer.
She underwent treatment for the tumour in January but has not yet received the results so it is not known if the treatment was effective.
Her next appointment has been postponed until October.
“I've seen my mother get so frustrated that she just can't take it anymore, and it makes me really angry and hurts my heart,” her daughter Jackie said.
Cancer charity Macmillan said NHS data showed “too many people” were waiting too long for potentially life-saving tests and treatments.
Election pledges
Health is a devolved issue, meaning policy outside England is set by ministers in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments, not Westminster.
But when decisions about NHS spending are made in Westminster, there are automatic payments, or allocations, to local authorities, who must adjust their policies accordingly.
In their manifesto, the Conservatives said the NHS would meet its performance targets on cancer and other diseases by the end of the next parliament, and pledged to invest in new NHS facilities, add 92,000 nurses and recruit 24,000 new doctors. Labour pledged to “reduce the number of cancer deaths” by doubling the number of modern scanners to improve early detection rates. The party is due to publish its full manifesto later on Thursday. The Liberal Democrats said they would ensure all cancer patients start treatment within 62 days of emergency referral. This would be achieved in part by hiring more cancer nurses and replacing old scanners. Reform UK said urgent reforms to the NHS were needed to increase staff numbers and reduce waiting lists. More details will be announced at an event on Monday. The Greens said they would reduce waiting lists by increasing the NHS budget by £28 billion a year by 2030. Enquiries
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