A dad died from cancer after several cancelled appointments and a seven-hour wait in an ambulance. Keith Bromyard never received treatment for his disease.
And now his daughter, Rebecca Gossage, is campaigning to make sure others don't suffer the same fate. She is calling on the Government to deliver faster diagnoses.
Rebecca, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, believes her dad could have survived had he been treated more quickly. She now wants the Government to "save lives" by tackling increasing delays in cancer treatment.
Keith started to experience stomach pain in October 2021. He was referred for tests, but it was more than a month before he got an initial appointment, reports BirminghamLive.
Less than two months later he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, known as the quickest-killing form of the disease. More than half of patients die within three months of a diagnosis. Keith died aged 65 without ever seeing an oncologist and Rebecca, 38, is deeply worried other families will face a similarly this winter.
She said: "The Government has been saying that everybody will get a GP appointment within two weeks - but two weeks when you've got pancreatic cancer is such a huge amount of time. It’s too long - it must be higher on the government’s agenda because the signs that dad had presented with, had they been picked up earlier with a scan, might have been a bit more manageable for everybody. It might not have been so much of a shock, or he may have received chemo."
Rebecca is not alone with her concerns, as new figures show more than eight in 10 GPs fear that extreme pressures on the NHS this winter will prevent people with cancer disease accessing lifesaving treatment. Waiting times for all forms of cancer treatment are longer in the Midlands than anywhere else in the country, with nearly half of patients waiting longer than two months for treatment after an urgent referral.
Cancer charity Pancreatic Cancer UK has this month launched its ‘No Time to Wait’ campaign, urging the Government deliver faster diagnosis and treatment for people with the disease. It wants a commitment that everyone with the disease be diagnosed within 21 days of their referral, offered fast access to treatment and care, and immediately given access to support from a specialist nurse.
Diana Jupp, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: "The message from health professionals is frighteningly clear: the pandemic, staff shortages and underfunding have all pushed the NHS to breaking point. Pancreatic cancer is the quickest killing cancer, and any delays to diagnosis and treatment could cost people their chance of survival.
"There is no time to wait. Governments across the UK must bring forward and implement funded cancer plans to deliver faster diagnosis and treatment that will save lives, not just this winter but well into the future. We cannot afford to continue lurching from one worsening crisis to another. People with pancreatic cancer, their loved ones, and hardworking NHS staff all deserve better."
