340,000 cancer patients face late diagnosis due to NHS staff shortages (England)

[Northerner]

Hundreds of thousands of cancer patients in England face being diagnosed late in the coming years, MPs have warned, as they condemned the government’s failure to tackle the NHS staffing shortages that risk survival rates going into reverse.

In a 52-page report on cancer services, the Commons health and social care committee said the absence of any serious attempt by ministers to fill gaps in the cancer workforce was jeopardising efforts to improve survival rates. MPs added that without action 340,000 patients between 2019 and 2028 will be denied an early diagnosis, which could mean the difference between life and death.

The verdict came after an inquiry by MPs found there was no detailed plan to address shortages of clinical oncologists, consultant pathologists, radiologists and specialist cancer nurses.

“Earlier cancer diagnosis is the key to improving overall survival rates. However, progress is being jeopardised by staff shortages which threaten both diagnosis and treatment,” said Jeremy Hunt, the chair of the committee, who said the Covid crisis had exacerbated the problems in cancer care. “We are further concerned at the damaging and prolonged impact of the pandemic on cancer services, with a real risk that gains made in cancer survival will go into reverse.

340,000 cancer patients face late diagnosis due to NHS staff shortages

MPs’ report condemns the government’s failure to fill gaps in the cancer workforce and deal with the impact of Covid

www.theguardian.com

"The verdict came after an inquiry by MPs found there was no detailed plan to address shortages of clinical oncologists, consultant pathologists, radiologists and specialist cancer nurses."

Unforgivable

 

[mikeyB]

It’s not just due to Covid. It’s Brexit. Doctors and nurses were leaving the NHS in England because they realised they weren’t welcome. That also accounts for the shortage of lorry drivers to distribute supplies to supermarket and shops. That’s not Covid, either.

It’s completely disingenuous of Jeremy Hunt to blame Covid on the failings in cancer care. That would have happened without Covid, because NHS England has been starved of money since 2010 when the Tories got in power. Waiting lists were 4 million before Covid ever arrived.

 

[Northerner]

It’s not just due to Covid. It’s Brexit. Doctors and nurses were leaving the NHS in England because they realised they weren’t welcome. That also accounts for the shortage of lorry drivers to distribute supplies to supermarket and shops. That’s not Covid, either.

It’s completely disingenuous of Jeremy Hunt to blame Covid on the failings in cancer care. That would have happened without Covid, because NHS England has been starved of money since 2010 when the Tories got in power. Waiting lists were 4 million before Covid ever arrived.

Jeremy Hunt has no place talking about problems in the NHS, having presided over the evisceration of the organisation for more years than any other Health Secretary The government of course wish to blame problems on Covid, just like they want to blame the cost of living crisis on the war in Ukraine I saw Johnson being interviewed earlier being asked about the COL and the NI rise. He was saying the tax hike was necessary so they can fix the problems with the backlog and social care. Does he not realise that, unless the government start doing more to help people then pushing 1.3m people into absolute poverty will only increase pressures on the health service and other social institutions? As ever, shallow thinking from austerity-addicted Tory idealists