Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust: Cancer patients with urgent referrals not being seen quickly enough

A leading charity has said the government needs to pull cancer care out of a "permanent state of crisis".

It comes as data from NHS England shows that less than half the number of cancer patients urgently referred to Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust are being seen quickly enough.

According to the NHS, 85% of cancer patients with an urgent referral should start treatment within 62 days.

But just 49% of cancer patients urgently referred to Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust in January began treatment within two months of their referral.

That was down from 56% in December, but up from 48% in January 2023.

A director for the trust said that an increase in referrals has put pressure on staff and that it is "working hard" to focus on patients waiting longer than they should be for treatment.

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For England, the proportion of patients waiting longer than 62 days in January from an urgent suspected cancer referral or consultant upgrade to their first definitive treatment for cancer was 62%, down from 66% in December and below the target of 85%.

Minesh Patel, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said the delays "can’t go on".

"Healthcare professionals are doing all they can but are working in a permanent state of crisis," he added.

"If the UK government acts now, we can turn this around and ensure our cancer system is fit for purpose in the years to come.

"We need a long-term cancer strategy in England that provides the investment and focus needed so that everybody with a cancer diagnosis gets the timely and quality care they deserve."

Professor Pat Price, who co-founded the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, described the situation as "a disaster for cancer patients" and called for "a radical new cancer plan and a clear implementation plan to improve waiting times and cancer survival".

A separate NHS target aims for 75% of patients with suspected cancer to be diagnosed or have the disease ruled out within 28 days – at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, 69% of patients were seen within that timeframe.

Responding to the figures, Stephen Bush, Medical Director for Operations, said: “Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is a regional centre for cancer treatment and this includes providing specialist treatment for patients from across Yorkshire as well as those who live locally in Leeds.

“Reflecting the general position of the NHS, we have seen a sustained demand for our medical services, including an increase in cancer referrals, which has heightened pressure across the whole of the trust.

“We are working hard to focus on patients waiting longer than they should for their cancer treatment. This has included cutting the number of those waiting by nearly half from November 2023 to March 2024."

He added: “We continually review our patient treatment routes to ensure we are doing everything we can to offer timely care. We are encouraged to see much improved access for patients in the first few months of this year.”

Across England, 71% of patients urgently referred were given a conclusive diagnosis, down from 74% the previous month and below the target of 75%.

GPs across the country made 250,000 urgent cancer referrals in the month – a rise from 220,000 in December and 228,000 in January 2023.

A spokesperson for the NHS said: "The NHS is seeing and treating record numbers of people for cancer, with 30% more people being treated last year than in 2015-16 and almost 3 million people receiving potentially lifesaving cancer checks in the last 12 months, ensuring more people than ever before have been diagnosed at an early stage and cancer survival is at an all-time high.

"It is vital that people come forward if they are concerned about cancer symptoms – getting checked early saves lives."