Today, Radiotherapy UK has released a powerful new video spotlighting changes to NHS England cancer targets: as quarterly wait times for treatment continue ‘pattern of abject failure’.
From October 2023, NHS England is recording three targets instead of ten, as almost 4 in 10 patients continue to wait too long for treatment.
Our director, Sarah Quinlan MBE lays out what the target changes mean for cancer patients and why we as a charity are concerned, including:
- The long-term failure to meet the 62-day treatment target and its importance
- The lack of ambition for the number of cancer patients expected to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard
- A crucial gap in the recorded data that leaves patients exposed
International research shows every 4 week delay to treatment can lead to a 10% increased risk of death. Radiotherapy UK’s Professor Pat Price is co-founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, urging government to take action and invest in treatment as well as diagnostics.
Please watch and share this video and help us raise awareness of the ongoing cancer crisis.
Scroll down to read Professor Pat Price’s response to quarterly cancer waiting times data released today.
Reaction from Professor Pat Price, leading oncologist and founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, to today’s NHS quarterly cancer waiting time data:
“It is devastating to see that despite moving the goalposts – with reviews to cancer waiting times – the Government and NHS leadership are still failing to score the goal on cancer. We have settled into a quarterly pattern of abject failure on cancer treatments. Simply tweaking how we measure waiting times won’t address the systemic issues causing delays. We need comprehensive reforms and a radical new cancer plan to ensure timely and effective cancer care for all cancer patients.”
Notes
- International research shows every 4 weeks of delay in treatment can lead to a 10% increased risk of death.
- Latest NHS England Quarterly Cancer Waiting Times data released today (9th November 2023) for July – September 2023 (Q2 2023/2024) show that:
- Between July to September 2023, 46,862 cancer patients began treatment and only 61.6%% were treated within the 62-day target between urgent GP referral and treatment.
- Link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Q2-Cancer-Waiting-Times-Quarterly-Commentary-Provider-based-Provisional.pdf
