Delays in diagnosis leading to more deaths from cancer

GREATER MANCHESTER HOSPITALS VOW TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

SOME of Greater Manchester’s major hospitals have the highest numbers of deaths due to delayed cancer diagnosis and misdiagnosis in the UK.

There have been six deaths in the last three years among patients of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA), which runs hospitals including Salford Royal Hospital, Fairfield General, Rochdale Infirmary and the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Last year, Cancer Research UK warned that the UK’s progress in treating the disease is at risk of stalling due to slow and late diagnosis coupled with treatment delays. Last month, England’s NHS ombudsman warned that cancer patients could be put at risk ‘because of over-stretched health staff working in a system at breaking point.’

The ombudsman called for immediate government action after research into cancer complaints frequently pointed to misdiagnosis and treatment delays.

Following the statement from the health ombudsman, Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) were sent to

More testing is now being done at Salford Royal Hospital

every NHS trust in the UK by legal firm Medical Negligence Assist. The FOIs revealed the number of fatalities because of delayed cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosis between 2021, up to and including any instances in 2024.

Of the 124 NHS trusts that were contacted, 71 per cent provided full responses to the requests for information, according to Medical Negligence Assist. The most fatalities due to cancer delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis were recorded by the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with 10 deaths.

Greater Manchester’s Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust recorded the UK’s second highest figures, with a total of six deaths between 2021 and 2024.

Two deaths were recorded in 2021, followed by a further three in 2022. Another fatality was also confirmed for 2023. So far this year, as of April 2024 there have been no reported deaths due to delays in cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosis.

Several NHS trusts did not confirm specific numbers due to concerns about patient confidentiality.

Liez Fletcher-Parker, lead cancer manager for Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust said: “We recognise that we are not where we would like to be. Our recent data show that our referral time for cancer diagnosis has improved.

“We are doing even more testing, this being possible as a result of the opening of Community Diagnostic Centres in Salford and Oldham and improved access to CT and MR tests allowing for earlier diagnosis.

“The work does not stop here, and we are constantly working together as an integrated system in Greater Manchester looking at ways to improve cancer care for patients.”