Deadly delays in cancer treatment have become 'routine' in the NHS, according to a series of damning reports from health chiefs, charities and doctors. The reports highlight long waits for treatment, a worsening workforce crisis and a chronic lack of equipment, with hundreds of thousands of patients forced to wait months to start essential care.
A Cancer Research UK report found that 382,000 cancer patients in England have not been treated on time since 2015, with the national target of starting treatment within 62 days last met in December 2015. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) warned of a 'staggering' 30% shortfall in clinical radiologists and a 15% shortfall in clinical oncologists, with nearly half of UK cancer centres experiencing weekly delays in starting treatment.
Separately, a report from four children's cancer charities highlighted that young patients are being failed by a lack of support after diagnosis. The RCR survey found that weekly delays in chemotherapy almost doubled from 28% in 2022 to 47% in 2023, while radiotherapy delays rose from 22% to 43% over the same period.
Prof Pat Price, an oncologist, called the reports 'a deadly story of delays', while Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Michelle Mitchell urged political parties to make tackling cancer waits a top priority. The NHS countered that it is treating record numbers, with a 30% increase compared to 2015-16, but the Liberal Democrats noted that delays have hit 'the worst levels on record'.
