More than 380,000 cancer patients have experienced ‘routine’ delays in starting treatment since 2015

More than 380,000 cancer patients have faced ‘untold suffering’ over the past decade due to treatment delays, a charity has warned.

Cancer Research UK said failure to meet the 62-day waiting period to start cancer treatment is costing lives.

They said the general election must be “a turning point for cancer” or decades of progress in the fight against the disease could be eroded.

A separate report from the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) said delays in cancer care have become ‘routine’.

Nearly half of cancer centers reported weekly delays in providing treatments such as chemotherapy – despite evidence that every month of delay can increase the risk of death by 10 percent.

The council described a “staggering” shortage of 30 percent of clinical radiologists and 15 percent of clinical oncologists, hampering timely care, and both are expected to worsen in coming years.

Cancer Research UK analyzed data on the number of patients in England who started treatment more than 62 days after being urgently referred for suspected cancer.

This important NHS target – with 85 per cent of people starting treatment for their cancer within this timeframe – was last met in December 2015.

The percentage of patients in England who waited no longer than 62 days for their first cancer treatment in March was 68.7 percent, with April figures due to be announced later today.

Despite recent improvements, the company blamed too few employees and a lack of diagnostic equipment, such as CT and MRI scanners, for failing to keep up with demand.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said around 2.2 million people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the next parliament.

Describing the added anxiety caused by delays, she said: ‘Each of these numbers is a friend, family member and loved one who has to wait an excruciatingly long time for their treatment to begin, causing stress and anxiety.

“The general election should be a turning point for cancer. Nearly one in two people will develop cancer during their lifetime, affecting every family in every community.

‘Any new government in Britain must make tackling cancer waiting times a top priority and pledge to meet all cancer waiting lists by the end of the next parliament.’

The RCR reports were based on surveys of heads of cancer centers and clinical directors of radiology departments in Britain, all of whom responded.

The responses showed that the number of cancer centers experiencing serious delays has almost doubled in one year, from 28 to 47 percent.

The situation is similar for radiotherapy, with weekly treatment delays almost doubling from 22 percent in 2022 to 43 percent in 2023.

Nearly all clinical directors surveyed (97 percent) said labor shortages were causing backlogs and delays in their workplace, with demand ‘far exceeding’ the capacity of the cancer workforce.

Dr. Katharine Halliday, president of RCR, said: “Today’s reports reveal a stark reality: the radiology and oncology workforce crisis is putting patients’ health at risk.

“Despite our commitment to providing the best care possible, severe staff shortages are significantly hindering our efforts.

‘We simply do not have enough doctors to safely treat the increasing number of patients, and this problem will only worsen as demand continues to rise and more doctors leave the NHS.’

The typical age at which consultants leave the workforce has fallen, from 57 years in 2021 to 54 years in 2023, with a third of consultants leaving the workforce being under 45 years of age.

Dr. Halliday said this was a result of doctors ‘working under extreme stress’ and urged the new government to implement a progressive strategy to recruit, train and retain staff.

Mairaid McMahon, policy manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘The latest Royal College of Radiologists census once again highlights the significant shortages that still exist within the cancer workforce.

“These shortages negatively impact patient care, cause delays in diagnosis and treatment, and potentially lead to worsening outcomes for people with cancer.”

The RCR reports were based on responses from all 60 UK cancer centers with radiotherapy services, as well as every NHS acute trust or healthcare board that employs clinical radiologists, making it the most comprehensive snapshot of the cancer workforce in Britain.

Professor Pat Price, a leading oncologist and co-founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: ‘These cancer statistics tell a deadly story of delays in crucial care for cancer patients.

“Whoever forms the next government must recognize that a cancer crisis exists and take radical action to tackle it.

And that action must include a new dedicated cancer plan, supported by investments in people and technology in key areas of cancer treatment, such as radiotherapy.

‘Cancer patients who do not receive their treatment on time are a disaster that should not continue in the next parliament.

“Anything less than this and we will never get out of the cancer crisis.”

An NHS spokesperson said: ‘The NHS is seeing and treating record numbers of people for cancer, with 30 per cent more people treated last year than in 2015/2016 and almost 3 million people receiving potentially life-saving cancer checks in the last twelve months – This ensures that more people than ever before are being diagnosed at an early stage and that the survival rate from cancer is at an all-time high.

‘It is vital that people come forward if they are concerned about the symptoms of cancer. Getting checked early saves lives.”