Warning issued as cancer treatment delays ‘becoming routine’

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A warning has been issued by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) as long waits for cancer care are ‘becoming routine’ across the UK.

The RCR has said nearly half of all cancer care centres are experiencing delays most weeks, and an “impending crisis” is looming among the cancer care workforce.

Cancer treatment delays

According to figures, there is a 30% shortfall in radiologists and 15% shortfall in clinical oncologists.

Senior managers at 60 specialist cancer centres in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded their responses to reveal the state of cancer care in the UK.

The survey carried out in November 2023, found the number of centres experiencing severe delays had almost doubled in a year.

Meanwhile, managers at almost half of the sites (47%) said there were delays for patients needing chemotherapy and other cancer drugs were facing delays “most weeks or every week”, up from reports of delays at 28% of sites the previous year.

Centres also reported weekly delays to radiotherapy had nearly doubled, from 22% in 2022 to 43% in 2023.

The clinical directors surveyed said the reason for the backlogs were due to workforce shortages.

RCR president Dr Katharine Halliday said:

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

NHS data, from March, shows the proportion of patients in England waiting less than 62 days to receive their first cancer treatment was 69%, whilst the target is currently 85%.

An analysis from Cancer Research UK has found that 382,000 cancer patients had not been treated within the prescribed time in England since December 2015, when the target was last met.

The family of a woman spoke to the BBC after their mum had to wait eight months to be diagnosed with lung cancer.

Rosemary Head, 83, from Langdon Hills in Essex had treatment on her tumour in January but has not yet been told the results, so has no idea if it was effective.

Her follow-up appointment has now been pushed back to October.

Rosemary’s daughter Jackie said:

“I’ve seen my mother get to the point where she just can’t deal with this anymore because it’s so frustrating, and that really angers and upsets me.”

Cancer delays – How to make a claim?

If you have suffered after experiencing a delayed Cancer diagnosis, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

A delay may have occurred after a medical professional failed to diagnose a health condition, or if they failed to refer you for investigations. This can often lead to your condition worsening, or leave you for a prolonged period of time without the necessary treatment.

Delays can refer to referrals, scans and other investigations. It can also include medical professionals failing to recognise symptoms or records that are re-reviewed at a later date and urgently acted upon once the delay has been identified.

Who can make a cancer delay claim?

The person who has been affected may be entitled to bring about a claim. However, in some cases, it can be the case that the patient has passed as a result of the disease. In such instances, the executor of the estate or the next of kin/dependents may be able to bring about a claim.

Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have a right to bring about a claim, so if you or a loved one has been affected do not hesitate to contact us.

How much compensation will I get for cancer delays?

It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset given the complexities involved however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:

General damages – an award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.
Special damages – an award of money for all of your out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, treatment costs both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.

The amount of compensation awarded will depend on the severity of the damages caused by the delay and the loss of any future earnings as a result.

Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors Ltd?

At Oakwood Solicitors Ltd we have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experience in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence, including in cancer care.

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.