Today’s NHS cancer wait times show 64% of patients are waiting too long for radiotherapy.
That’s more than six in ten patients. At the same time, nearly one in three cancer patients are still waiting too long to have any kind of cancer treatment.
In response to the latest NHS Quarterly Cancer Data, our Chair, Professor Pat Price said:
“Today’s cancer waiting time figures lay bare the critical state of cancer care in the UK. Nearly a year on from Lord Darzi’s report, which found that UK cancer care ‘still lags behind other countries’, there are still deeply worrying signs that the Government has not grasped the scale of the challenge.
The £15.5 million allocated for AI in radiotherapy has been withdrawn, even as the latest NHS quarterly data shows that nearly one in three cancer patients are waiting too long to start treatment. Alarmingly, almost 64% of patients are waiting too long for radiotherapy, the highest levels in over a year.
Radiotherapy is a proven, cost-effective, and highly personalised treatment that has been overlooked by policymakers for far too long. With a National Cancer Plan on the horizon, the Government must give cancer treatment the same priority as cancer diagnosis by investing in world-class radiotherapy services.”
Radiotherapy AI funding cancelled
Lord Darzi’s independent report, released a year ago, highlighted that more than 30 per cent of patients were waiting longer than 31 days for radical radiotherapy.
Yet earlier this year, it was reported that radiotherapy AI auto-contouring funding was being pulled, despite it speeding up treatment times and helping to cut waits.
Sir James Cleverly questions why 'tried and tested' project funding pulled
Sir James Cleverley MP has been a staunch champion of our #CatchUpWithCancer campaign on behalf of UK cancer patients. Here he is on Peston Live back in July, asking the tough questions on government funding for radiotherapy.
We welcome a new 10 Year Plan for the NHS and confirmation of the £70million for new machines, announced last October. But the MP for Braintree is right to point out that reinstating AI autocontouring funding would be an efficient and effective way of improving services. Until then, patients will continue to be left stranded after diagnosis.
Radiotherapy is solution to the cancer crisis
Radiotherapy cures cancer and is the most cost-effective cancer treatment. It is needed by 1 in 2 cancer patients and contributes to cure in 40% of cases. Radiotherapy is personalised to each patient, is extremely cost-effective, technologically advanced, innovative and incredibly versatile – being used anywhere in the cancer treatment pathway from curative treatment of early disease, to reducing pain as part of palliative care.
In the UK, radiotherapy has high training standards and enjoys extremely high degrees of quality and safety.
The radiotherapy community’s 10-year Vision for World-Class Radiotherapy clearly shows how the treatment can support the government in transforming cancer care, by cutting waits and improving outcomes.