Cancer care 'at breaking point as staff brave cuts'
CANCER treatment services are at breaking point, propped up by “brave” staff as targets slip and care deteriorates, a damning report has revealed.
Years of cuts, recent reforms and growing numbers of patients have created a perfect storm.
Experts fear that without urgent investment the “looming demands of an ageing population and the predicted rapid increase in cancer cases” will cause vital services to collapse.
The report, commissioned by Cancer Research UK, reveals the true toll of economies.
It calls for urgent action to increase investment, particularly in diagnosis, and highlights the need to review both the leadership and commissioning of services.
Emma Greenwood, the charity’s head of policy, said: “More than 330,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year and most are getting the care they need. But we’ve heard that NHS cancer services are at breaking point. We’ve already seen that treatment waiting times are starting to be missed.”
We need more funding. Instead of progressing/ developing our cancer services which are already significantly underfunded, our services are actually being cut
The report warns that the removal of the National Cancer Action Team and cancer networks has led to a loss of leadership and the break-up of service commissioning.
There is also wide variation in the roles and responsibilities of new NHS organisations and a need to rebuild relationships and regain expertise. Staff responses in the report revealed a strong consensus for urgent action.
One expert said: “We need more funding. Instead of progressing/ developing our cancer services which are already significantly underfunded, our services are actually being cut. It is becoming impossible to deliver all the new cancer targets and quality of care is deteriorating.”
In the past year, more than 1.4 million patients in England were referred with suspected cancer – a 50 per cent increase in four years – and fewer than 85 per cent of cases are being treated within the 62-day target.
Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Staff have bravely done their best in the face of overwhelming change, increased demand, squeezed budgets and fragmented leadership. But that cannot continue indefinitely.
