Thousands of hidden cancer patients who have been forced to wait too long for care

There are serious concerns about thousands of cancer patients whose potentially lifesaving treatment has been delayed because of the Covid pandemic and NHS crisis. Last September, 1,600 people with cancer in Birmingham were waiting longer than the recommended two months to start treatment, and hundreds more across the wider West Midlands.

Thousands of others since 2020 have seen vital cancer care delayed because of the pandemic and other pressures on hospitals. Hospital bosses in Birmingham said the total waiting too long for treatment had been cut to 461 and cancer care had returned to pre-pandemic levels, but charities and campaigners remain worried by the damage that has potentially already been done to the thousands in the region who have waited too long for care.

Cancer patients should begin treatment within 62 days of being referred by a GP. Hospitals should ensure this is the case with 85 per cent of patients, under national targets but most hospitals have fallen way short of this mark over the last few years.

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Ade Adeyemo, Liberal Democrat councillor for Solihull, said: “Delays to cancer diagnoses and treatments are incredibly distressing for those with cancer and those who fear they may have it. The Government must get a handle on this crisis so cancer patients get the urgent care they need to give them the best chance of survival and recovery.”

The latest figures come after a BirminghamLive investigation found cancer care was a postcode lottery in parts of the region. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Recent waiting times statistics paint an extremely troubling picture for people affected by cancer.

“The last time all targets for cancer waiting times were met was as far back as 2015, and the number of people waiting for diagnosis and treatment remains unacceptably high. It can be easy to get lost in statistics – but each one of those numbers represents someone’s child, parent, partner, sibling or friend. Although waiting times were certainly made worse by Covid, these challenges existed well before.”

A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, said: “We are absolutely committed to diagnosing and treating cancer as quickly as possible and an immense amount of work has been undertaken to ensure that additional capacity is available for our patients requiring a diagnosis or treatment.

“These efforts are working – in September 2022 we had 1,600 patients waiting longer than 62 days to have their confirmed diagnosis or to start treatment. As of this week, we have 461 patients waiting longer than the 62-day target.

“While this continues to reduce week-on-week, we recognise there is much more to do and our teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard to provide the best possible service for patients.”

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