No Progress On Earlier Cancer Diagnosis By NHS

The Health and Social Care Committee has heavily criticised the lack of Government effort to improve the cancer workforce which has subsequently jeopardised earlier cancer diagnoses for patients.

MPs warn that the NHS in England is struggling to make progress on its initial target to diagnose three-quarters of cancer cases at an early stage.

Currently, 54% of cases are diagnosed at stages one and two, which is considered vital for survival chances.

The aim is to diagnose 75% of cases in the early stages. However, there has been no sign of improvement for at least six years. The NHS is currently failing to hit its target to start treatment within two months of an urgent referral.

The Health and Social Care Committee said staffing shortages and disruption from the pandemic were causing further delays.

Whilst it can be appreciated that the pandemic has significantly disrupted the NHS, it must be noted that there has been no sign of improvement long before the pandemic began.

MPs say there appears to be no detailed plan to address the shortages of clinical oncologists, consultant pathologists, radiologists, and specialist cancer nurses. These gaps in the cancer workforce threaten diagnosis, treatment, and research equally.

Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy for Cancer Research UK said:

Fewer than three million people were invited for screening during the pandemic. This is an essential route for the early detection of cancer for patients. The combination of factors that has led to a drop in cancer diagnoses over the past two years has led to an estimation of 45,000 missed cases across the UK.

The Health and Social Care Committee warns at least 340,000 people between 2019 and 2028 risk missing out on an earlier cancer diagnosis.

Despite some progress in one-year cancer survival rates since the 1970s and recent strides in the last 15-years, these statistics are damning and it means England and the rest of the UK lag behind countries such as Australia and Canada when it comes to cancer survivability.

Jeremy Hunt, chairman of the Health and Social Care Committee warns “many more lives will almost certainly end prematurely without earlier diagnosis and prompt treatment”.

Minesh Patel, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said this latest report has sounded a “loud and clear alarm”, adding:

The 10-Year plan outlined by the Government in February

In February 2022, an ambitious 10-year cancer plan for England was announced by Health and Social Care secretary Sajid Javid.

The plan aims to make England’s cancer care system the ‘best in Europe’. As the NHS tackles the COVID-19 backlog, the renewed focus will be placed on innovative cancer treatment and early diagnosis as part of a national war on cancer.

This new long-term plan sets out new and strengthened priorities, which include:

The latest report from the Health and Care Social Committee demonstrates the importance that the new long-term plan set out by Sajid Javid is taken with serious focus by the Government. The latest report slams the lack of progress on early cancer diagnosis and the current position of the cancer workforce which are two key elements of this proposed long-term plan.

Comment

We are all aware that the impact of the pandemic continues to loom large over the NHS and recovery is going to take time. However, it is clear that there is so much more at play here.

As Maria Caulfield, minister for Primary Care says “half of us will have cancer at some point in our lives, and many more will have to support someone close to them who has it”.

At Nelsons, we sadly see so many cases of late or missed diagnosis of cancer, and the consequences are devastating.

It must be with the utmost importance that the Government takes the proposed long-term plan seriously to make meaningful and significant progress over the course of the next few years so cancer patients and their families receive the care and support they deserve.