Highest year on record for Cancer referrals

NHS England reports thats almost three million people were referred for cancer checks over the last 12 months – the highest year on record.

According to data from NHS England and NHS Improvement, referrals for suspected cancer remained at around 116% of pre-pandemic levels even during the peak of the Omicron wave, and rose overall from 2.4 million to 2,657,316.

Around 315,000 patients also started treatment compared with 313,000 before Covid-19 struck.

Health chiefs have increased spending on cancer awareness campaigns and continue to encourage people to come forward for checks if invited by the NHS or if they have experienced any worrying symptoms.

NHS staff have gone to great lengths to maintain cancer treatment for patients and since March 2020, more than 4.7m have been referred and more than half a million people have started treatment.

Dame Cally Palmer, National Cancer Director for NHS England, said:

“We are going further and faster than ever before in our ambitions to diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage so that we can save more lives.

“We have seen record numbers of people coming forward for checks in the last year, but we know there are still at least 30,000 who haven’t started treatment due to the pandemic, so it’s vital that we keep these referral rates high.

“While we know this can’t happen overnight, we’re investing in extra diagnostic and treatment capacity to meet increasing demand, with staff working hard to roll out initiatives from straight to test services, cancer symptom hotlines and innovative diagnostics, so that those who are coming forward for checks can be seen quickly and their cancer identified at an earlier stage”.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, said:

“We know the pandemic meant that at first we saw fewer patients, but in the last year GP’s have been referring people for investigation in record numbers and have been working hard to make sure people with worrying symptoms can be seen. The NHS has continued to prioritise cancer care throughout the pandemic.

“It’s vital people continue to come forward, so if you have a sign or symptom that you’re worried about, such as a persistent cough that is not COVID, or prolonged discomfort in the abdomen, please come forward – getting checked out could save your life”.