The Express has reported that recent NHS data shows that the average wait to start cancer treatment is now 55 days. The Express reports that the figure, which measures the time from a GP referral to the start of hospital treatment, is now a week longer than at the start of 2020.
The Express states that NHS data released last week showed 38,000 fewer patients received a cancer diagnosis in England during 2020 - a 12 percent drop from the previous year.
Professor Wishart, CMO for Check4Cancer comments in the report on the findings; “as a country that has contributed so much to cancer research and development, it is devastating to find that the UK languishes 33rd out of 41 developed nations in a league table of cancer mortality, with the worst survival rate in the G7."
Professor Wishart further comments; “the rise in cancer waiting times is evident, with only 78 percent of urgent referrals seen within two weeks. But we should remember that more than 20 percent of patients are diagnosed via non-urgent pathways, where waiting times can be several months, or in A&E when a catastrophic event occurs. Coupled with delayed access to cancer treatment it is easy to understand why cancer survival rates in the UK are so poor and in decline”.
Cancer experts have urged ministers to tackle Britain’s cancer shame. Read the article in full here.
