Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment Delays
Recent research by The Times has uncovered the shocking statistic that, in the period 2017 - 2018, twenty-five NHS Trusts failed to treat their cancer patients within 62 days. This bleak picture is in line with reports that have been emerging over the last year.
Issues around cancer diagnosis
Last year research by the British Journal of General Practice found that, out of 4,500 patients attending A&E with cancer symptoms, over 1500 had previously visited their GP three or four times but had failed to achieve a diagnosis. Unfortunately, an NHS report last year further observed that 'where a patient presents through an emergency presentation, often by attending an A&E department, survival rates are much lower.'
A subsequent report by the Care Quality Commission identified considerable variation in the speed of diagnosis for different types of cancer with kidney cancer taking up to 66 days to diagnose. A twenty-eight day target for diagnosis is to be set.
A report in The Times also revealed that around 300,000 scans (CT, MRI and x-rays) remained unassessed across the UK, thereby delaying the speed of diagnosis. In some cases, the scans were being assessed by unqualified staff, leading to further possible diagnosis problems.
Treatment delays
A new report has now discovered that one in six cancer patients is having to wait longer than the target time of 62 days for their treatment to begin. In support of this statistic, last year a report by NHS England showed that the target of treating 85% of patients within this timeframe had been fairly consistently missed for three years.
During the 2017 - 2018 winter crisis, the Churchill Hospital in Oxford warned that, due to staff shortages, there would be a delay in treatment for some cancer patients and a reduction in treatment for others.
How does the UK compare?
Cancer survival rates in the UK do not compare well with our European peers. We have the worst survival rate for ovarian cancer and the second worse survival rate for lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.
It has been suggested that this situation may in part be due to delayed diagnosis.
Medical negligence
A report by Public Health England last year observed that more than one fifth of cancer patients may have experienced a poorer outcome due to a delay in their diagnosis.
If you or a loved one are suffering the significant, long-term outcome of a delay in your cancer diagnosis, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Contact us to discuss your experience with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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