The recruitment freeze at dozens of NHS cancer and diagnostic units, despite rising referrals

Dozens of NHS hospitals have banned their cancer or diagnostic departments from taking on new staff, despite GPs referring more and more people they fear may have the disease.

Doctors warned that the widespread recruitment freezes imposed on both types of units over the past year risk undermining Keir Starmer’s drive, set out this week, to reduce waiting times for NHS care.

Research from the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has found that 42 NHS trusts or health boards in the UK have instructed their cancer center or diagnostic unit not to take on any additional staff by 2024. Financial problems in the NHS appear to explain what she calls “short-sightedness”. ‘ freezes.

Both types of services are already struggling to meet the ever-increasing demand for diagnostic tests and cancer care created by Britain’s increasingly older and sicker population, forcing patients to wait for X-rays and scans before starting treatment can start.

“Imposing staff freezes on cancer and diagnostic departments is an extremely short-sighted decision,” said Dr Katharine Halliday, chair of the council. “These departments are already struggling with understaffing and an overwhelming workload.

“Recruitment freezes will only increase delays in diagnosing and treating patients, while further eroding the morale of hardworking NHS staff.”

Such bans “undermine critical efforts to reduce delays for patients and improve early cancer diagnosis,” she added.

The Prime Minister will not be able to keep the promise he made on Monday that 92% of patients needing hospital care will receive it within 18 weeks by spring 2029, if units carrying out such crucial work are still are not allowed to hire new staff at all times. need, Halliday warned.

“The Prime Minister is right to focus on tackling the backlog in the NHS,” she said. “But it’s just not realistic if we don’t have the staff. And the hiring freezes directly contradict the bold ambitions the government has set.”

The RCR’s annual count of cancer and diagnostic services in the UK found that:

• Last year, a hiring freeze was imposed on 13 of the 54 cancer centers (24.1%), as well as on 29 of the 150 (19.3%) radiology departments.

• The 42 recruitment bans were imposed by 40 different NHS trusts or boards.

• At least one freeze was introduced in each of the four home counties and every region of England.

A head of a cancer service told the RCR that rising demand for improved chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, combined with staff shortages and inadequate funding, “means (cancer) clinics are becoming increasingly overbooked”.

Samantha Harrison, head of strategic evidence at Cancer Research UK, said: “Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, cancer patients are waiting too long for essential tests and treatment. Cancer services have not had the resources they need for years, and this report highlights the real impact this has on people affected by cancer.”

She said the government’s upcoming new cancer plan for England should deliver “substantial reforms and crucial investment in staff and equipment. Without this, the cancer workforce will continue to struggle and cancer patients will not receive the timely care they deserve.”

A spokesperson for NHS England said: “We have developed a number of initiatives to improve access to cancer diagnostic services for patients, so that more cancers can be detected early.

“Early diagnosis is incredibly important in cancer treatment and more cancer cases than ever before are being detected early. This is thanks to a major effort by the NHS over the past two years to encourage millions of people to come forward for potentially life-saving checks.”