Fifth of cancer patients had to see GP three times to get diagnosis

ONE in five people with cancer had to see their GP at least three times before they received a diagnosis – with young people the most likely to be turned away, research shows.

The analysis of NHS data shows widespread delays in identifying patients in need of prompt attention, with some of the worst results seen in the poorest areas. Researchers said that the findings showed the need for urgent action to speed up diagnosis of cancer, with Britain lagging far behind other countries.

The study by the think tanks the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation examined NHS cancer diagnosis data and surveys on the experience of more than 60,000 patients.

It found that across all age groups, more than one in five cancer patients were only diagnosed when a referral followed at least three visits to their GP.

This rose to one in three among those of black, Asian or mixed ethnicity.

Young patients fared worst, with half of those aged 18 to 24 having had at least three visits ahead of a diagnosis being made. One in five cases involved at least five consultations at a GP practice.

People from the most deprived populations in England were 21 per cent less likely to be referred for urgent suspected cancer than those from areas with low levels of deprivation.

Experts said the findings showed the need to rapidly improve cancer diagnosis, and ensure that the right patients were referred for specialist help.

The analysis by Qualitywatch, a research programme by the Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation, said NHS ambitions to diagnose cancer in its earliest stages were “seriously off target”. More than 320,000 people in England were diagnosed with cancer in 2021, the report said, with the number of urgent cancer referrals rising to more than two million in 2020/21.

It follows warnings that UK cancer survival rates are 15 years behind other major countries as a result of late diagnosis and inadequate treatment.

A study by University College London earlier this year found cancer patients in the UK were much less likely than people in other countries to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Researchers said that in some cases patients were so unwell by the time they were diagnosed that they were not able to receive chemotherapy.

The think tanks said the NHS looks set to miss its own target of having 75 per cent of cancers diagnosed at an early stage by 2028, with progress having “stubbornly stalled” in recent years. Currently just 60 per cent of cancer diagnoses are made at stages one or two.

Dr Liz Fisher, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, said: “Delays to a cancer diagnosis pose real risks for people and an early diagnosis plays a pivotal role in determining the treatments available to people and determining outcomes. Detecting cancer early is vital to improving survival rates, for example, the rate of survival for bowel cancer drops significantly from 80 per cent if caught in stage two to 11 per cent at stage four.”

Prof Pat Price, founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: “There are two crucial things when it comes to treating cancer: diagnosing patients early and offering them treatment quickly. Sadly, there is systemic failure on both fronts.”

Prof Kamila Hawthorne, Chairman of the Royal College of GPS, said GPS were “doing a good job” in prioritising referrals for suspected cancer.

She said: “Whilst GPS are highly trained to identify cancers, this remains challenging in primary care, not least and particularly with some cancers, because the symptoms are often vague and typical of other, more common conditions. This will particularly be the case in young people, as the risk of cancer will be much smaller, which goes some way to explaining this element of this research. But it also makes clear that health inequalities, and impact of them, extend to cancer diagnosis – and this must be addressed.”

An NHS spokesman said: “NHS staff are working hard to ensure that everyone affected by cancer receives a prompt diagnosis, regardless of their age, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We have invested £2.3 billion into Community Diagnostic Centres across England which are speeding up diagnosis for cancer, with checks and scans being delivered at 160 sites across England, helping us achieve our goal of catching 75 per cent of all cancers at stage one or two by 2028.”

‘Delays to cancer diagnosis pose real risks for people and an early diagnosis plays a pivotal role’