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Cancer patients not being seen quickly enough

Almost half of Wolverhampton cancer patients are not being seen quickly enough.

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New Cross Hospital

During September almost half of patients at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust waiting too long to start treatment after an urgent GP referral.

The trust came last among all 131 trusts in England for its cancer waiting times, which saw 56.9 per cent of patients start treatment within the 62 days - or two months.

The target is for 85 per cent of patients to be seen within 62 days, and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust fell short of this by 28 per cent.

Elsewhere it has been reported that The Royal Wolverhampton NHS trust also reported the worst performance for patients newly diagnosed with cancer.

Targets suggest 96 per cent of those should start treatment within a month.

In September, at the trust, it was 87 per cent.

Nationally, 78.2 per cent of patients urgently referred by their GP with suspected cancer started treatment within the two-month set time period.

Gwen Nuttall, Chief Operating Officer at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “We strive to provide high quality and safe care for every one of our patients and our hard-working staff go above and beyond to ensure that patient safety is the highest priority.

“Meeting national targets will always be a challenge but we are doing all that we can to ensure our patients are not waiting longer than necessary to receive the care that they need.”

The Dudley Group NHS Trust also fell short of the 85 per cent target, with 80.5 per cent of patients being seen on time.

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, Diane Wake, said: "The Trust is committed to providing the best possible care and experience for all of our patients, and anyone referred to us by their GP with suspected cancer remains one of our top priorities.

"We are always disappointed when we cannot meet patients’ expectations. In September we treated 80.5 per cent of patients within the 62 day target for urgent GP referral to treatment for all cancers. The England average is 78.2 per cent against a target of 85 per cent.

"We are pleased that we do achieve the 14 day and 31 day cancer targets, and 62 day targets for referrals for treatment following consultant upgrade and national screening referrals.

"We recognise the challenge of achieving all of these very important target for our patients and there are a clear set of actions underway. As a result we are pleased to report that we achieved the 62 day treatment target in October 2018, subject to final validation."

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust at 84.5 per cent, and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which treats patients in Stafford and Stoke, 84.6 per cent.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust medical director, John Oxtoby, said: “University Hospitals of North Midlands is one of the highest performing hospitals in the region against all cancer targets and we are pleased with the progress we have made. However, we will always strive for further improvements for the benefit of our patients.”

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust did hit the recommended target with 86.7 per cent of patients being seen within 62 days.

Dr Fran Woodard, executive director of policy and impact at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “These figures are further evidence of a worrying trend which demonstrates that the pressure on cancer services is truly beginning to bite.

“We must not forget that at the heart of these figures are thousands of cancer patients anxiously waiting for referral for diagnosis or to start treatment.

“It is imperative the Government now seizes the once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the challenges facing the workforce in the NHS Long Term Plan.

"We cannot expect world-class cancer care for patients in the future without enough staff with the right skills to deliver it.”