This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Specialist cancer nurse vacancies leaving patients at risk
A report by Macmillan Cancer Support has suggested that high vacancy rates among specialist cancer nurses means that patients may not be receiving the level of specialist care they need.
Citing a ‘startlingly broad variation’ in the number of specialist cancer nurses regionally when compared with the number of new patients being diagnosed, Macmillan Cancer Support says that the census has highlighted a number of major challenges which threaten the future of cancer nursing, warning some patients may not be getting access to much-needed specialist care.
The report found that new lung cancer cases each year per specialist nurse vary from 62 to 203 in different areas, while breast cancer nurses vary from 56 to 145. Looking at specialist cancer nurses, chemotherapy specialist nurses, specialist palliative care nurses, and cancer support workers, it found vacancy rates higher than the UK rate for health and social work across all four roles.
Across England, the NHS is short of 166 specialist cancer nurses, 158 chemotherapy nurses, 44 palliative care nurses who treat cancer patients, and 61 cancer support workers, a total of 429 posts.
Karen Roberts, the charity’s chief nursing officer, said: “Having the expertise and support of a specialist nurse from the point of diagnosis has a huge bearing on whether or not a cancer patient has a positive experience of the care they receive.
“We are concerned that cancer nurses are being run ragged, and that some patients may not be receiving the level of specialist care they need. Nurses working in cancer care tell us that their increasingly complex and pressured workload is beginning to affect the quality of care patients receive. It is no surprise that hospitals are struggling to recruit to these roles, given this unprecedented pressure.”
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