Over two million' waiting for cancer care in UK

New analysis from Cancer Research UK has revealed that approximately 2.4 million people in the UK are waiting for cancer screening, further tests or cancer treatment.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused enormous disruption to cancer services across the UK, including delays to cancer treatment, screening and diagnosis, and huge decreases in patients being urgently referred to hospital with suspected cancer symptoms. Delays to cancer screening have had the biggest impact on the total number, with a backlog of around 2.1 million people left waiting for breast, bowel or cervical screening.

Cancer Research UK claims that urgent cancer referrals, often known as the two week wait, have been severely impacted with up to 290,000 people missing out on further testing, which would normally catch up to 20,300 cancers in the same time period. At the same time, there will also likely be a backlog of treatment to catch up on, with up to 12,750 fewer patients receiving surgery, 6,000 fewer for chemotherapy and 2,800 fewer receiving radiotherapy since lockdown began.

The charity has estimated that to test patients ahead of hospital appointments and cancer staff weekly, between 21,000 and 37,000 coronavirus tests must be done each day across the UK. Therefore, it is urging for a ‘clear national plan for testing’ to support the effective recovery and restoration of cancer services.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “The enormous strain Covid-19 has placed on cancer services is of great concern to us. The NHS has had to make very hard decisions to balance risk, and there have been some difficult discussions with patients about their safety and ability to continue treatment during this time. But we’re over the peak of the pandemic now, and cancer care is starting to get up and running again as ‘Covid-protected’ spaces are being set up.

“To get cancer services back to normal levels while ensuring no one is put at risk, frequent testing of NHS staff and patients, including those without symptoms, is vital. We now need clear national leadership and guidance for the NHS to dramatically increase testing levels. At the moment, we don’t know who is responsible for making cancer services safe and it’s patients who are suffering in the meantime. The government must work closely with the NHS to ramp up testing provision with rapid results, as quickly as possible once practical. Prompt diagnosis and treatment remain crucial to give people with cancer the greatest chances of survival and prevent the pandemic taking even more lives.”