Has anyone else experienced treatment delays for oesophagus cancer? My husband seems likely to miss both the 62 and 31 day deadlines. Why aren't the hospitals meeting these important targets.
Sadly these type of delays are becoming more common.
The reasons are complicated but a surge in cancer cases was predicted 20 years ago as our generation of baby boomers reached the age when most cancers are diagnosed. A similar surge in diabetes cases was also preficted. Thankfully more people are surviving cancer for longer which also adds to demand.
Austerity has meant that at best funding has been frozen since 2010. So the long planned increase in capacity to treat the baby boomers didn’t happen. The system started to shows signs of strain and a lot of clinicians (also baby boomers) retired early or opted to move abroad - especially to the USA - where they could earn up to three times as much for half the hours. Not enough new staff were trained and the nursing bursary was removed with would-be nurses forced to take on student loans.
Then Brexit happened and fewer EU clinicians wanted to work in an inhospitable UK.
There’s been a growing shortage of NHS diagnostic staff for years - over 10% of posts are vacant and Trusts can’t recruit. Even if Trusts had the money they couldn’t increase wages to attract staff from abroad because the rates are fixed by central government.
In 2010 almost every Trust hit the A&E and Cancer waiting times - in 2019 almost no Trusts meet them. There are now calls to scrap the targets because they are “unrealistic”.
Apologies for the rant - this subject is very close to my heart as a cancer patient and campaigner.
Please don't apologise. I feel strongly that the targets shouldn't be scrapped. When I asked for the evidence that even waiting the 62 days from diagnosis to treatment didn't effect my husbands prognosis they couldn't point to a single scientific piece of evidence. My exact words were cancer doesn't stop having a party while you are waiting.
We haven't even had the planning meeting yet and it's already been 6 weeks. I have messaged his cancer nurse in an attempt to move things along
I share your frustration. Do what you need to do to get things moving - complain to the Trust CEO, the CCG, your MP, your councillor, the local press/TV. There is a wealth of evidence that the sooner cancer is diagnosed and treatment started the more likely there will be a positive outcome.
Complaining won't do any harm, when I was on chemo the nurse in charge came around with patient feedback forms asking us to be brutally honest about the delays on the day caused by understaffing.
