Cancer patients let down by poor treatment
MORE than eight in 10 NHS bodies are letting down cancer patients through late diagnosis, poor survival rates and delayed treatment, official figures will reveal this week.
The first Ofsted-style ratings show that the vast majority of areas are pro- viding substandard services, with just 14 per cent of areas receiving a positive report.
Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, ordered the inspections last year in an attempt to improve the country’s record on cancer, after figures showed that the UK has the worst cancer survival rate in Western Europe. Each of England’s 209 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) has been rated as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate for its quality of cancer care.
The figures will show that just seven CCGs were given the top ranking, while 22 were rated as “good”. The majority
156 – were ranked as “requires improvement”, while 24 were deemed to be “inadequate”.
The assessments are based on the proportion of patients diagnosed early, the number of patients given urgent referrals who start treatment within 62 days, one-year survival rates, and overall patient experience.
The transparency comes amid deteriorating NHS performance on cancer.
In the past two years, the target to start treatment within 62 days has only been met once, monthly data shows, with 2,000 cancer patients now waiting longer to start treatment.
Charities said the results of the inspections were “very concerning” and have accused the health service of “staggering failings” in providing help in cases where early diagnosis and treatment is crucial.
Fran Woodard, executive director of Policy and Impact at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “The fact that so many CCGs in England have been identified as providing inadequate care to cancer patients – or requiring improvements in this area – is very concerning.
“It highlights just how much the NHS is struggling to meet the challenge of delivering cancer services which meet all the critical needs of people with cancer.”
Urging the Government to put more funding and staff into cancer care, she said: “The Cancer Strategy for England clearly shows how the NHS needs to address the significant improvements we all know need to happen urgently.”
Last year, research comparing 29 countries found survival rates in Sweden were one third higher than in the UK, with only patients in the Balkans and eastern Europe faring worse.
Last week a study by Cancer Research UK found that GPs repeatedly missed “red flag” signs of one of the most common cancers.
On average, patients diagnosed with bowel cancer after a visit to A&E had visited their GP five times in the previous year.