Tens of thousands of patients are still waiting to start cancer treatment in England due to disruption during the pandemic, according to NHS figures, as medical charities called on the government to tackle chronic staff shortages in the health service.
Following a dramatic slump in cancer referrals in 2020, the number of people being investigated for the disease bounced back in the past year, data from NHS England and NHS Improvement show, rising from 2.4 million to a record 2.66 million.
But while referrals have surged, the number of patients starting treatment for the disease have risen more modestly, from 313,000 before the Covid crisis to 315,000 in the past 12 months, according to the figures.
“We have seen record numbers of people coming forward for checks in the last year, but we know there are still at least 30,000 who haven’t started treatment due to the pandemic, so it’s vital that we keep these referral rates high,” said Dame Cally Palmer, the national cancer director for NHS England.
The NHS has doubled its spending on cancer awareness campaigns and invested in cancer symptom hotlines, mobile clinics and one-stop shops for tests to cope with the rising demand for cancer checks. The aim is to spot the disease at an early stage when treatments and surgery are often successful.
But while the figures suggest that progress is being made, medical charities said it was vital for the government to address chronic understaffing and bolster the number of cancer specialists in the NHS as it “declares a national war on cancer” in its 10-Year Cancer Plan.
Minesh Patel, the head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “It is reassuring to see record numbers of people coming forward with cancer symptoms for these lifesaving checks. However, people living with cancer are often missing out on crucial care as a result of chronic NHS understaffing.
“To avoid putting further pressure on hardworking doctors and nurses, it’s vital the government includes steps in the upcoming 10-Year Cancer Plan to grow the number of cancer professionals, so that people living with cancer receive the quality and timely care they desperately need,” he said.
MPs on the Commons health and social care committee last month criticised the government’s failure to tackle NHS staff shortages, warning that hundreds of thousands of cancer patients in England face a late cancer diagnosis in the coming years, threatening to reduce survival rates from the disease. The 52-page report found that, without further action, 340,000 patients will be denied an early cancer diagnosis between 2019 and 2028.
The warning followed a House of Commons library analysis in February that found half a million people in England with suspected cancer would wait longer than the intended two-week maximum to see a cancer specialist this year.
Ian Walker, the executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “We know that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on cancer services and cancer waiting times were being missed before the pandemic struck. It’s very encouraging to see an increased number of people being referred for cancer checks.
“But it’s vital that the efforts of NHS staff are bolstered in the government’s forthcoming 10-year Cancer Plan. Our ambitions to dramatically improve early diagnosis of cancer in this country are dependent on it.”
Prof Peter Johnson, the National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, said GPs had referred patients for cancer checks in record numbers in the past year and had been working hard to make sure people with worrying symptoms can see a specialist.
“It’s vital people continue to come forward,” he said. “If you have a sign or symptom that you’re worried about, such as a persistent cough that is not Covid, or prolonged discomfort in the abdomen, please come forward. Getting checked out could save your life.”
