Coronavirus: Millions missing out on vital cancer screening checks, says charity

Cancer Research UK says major investment in NHS workforce is needed

As many as three million patients have missed out on cancer screening checks (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As many as 3 million people in the UK have now missed out on cancer screening tests because of coronavirus, according to Cancer Research UK, which has warned some patients will die as a result of the delays.

In a new analysis, the charity called on ministers to invest £260m in training new NHS staff to help diagnose and treat cancer patients and tackle the backlog in cases built up a result of cancellations and delays caused by Covid-19 earlier this year.

The charity said that while the number of patients being urgently referred to hospitals with suspected cancer was improving again, there have still been about 350,000 fewer urgent referrals. Some 31,000 fewer patients were treated between April and July.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Cancer services already needed drastic improvement before Covid-19 hit and the pandemic has made this worse. January 2020 had the worst 62-day wait on record.

“Cancer survival here in the UK lags behind comparable countries [such as] Ireland, Norway, Canada and Australia. But the pandemic has made this worse, leaving millions of patients in a backlog waiting for cancer screening, urgent referrals and treatment.  

“We at Cancer Research UK really fear that this will mean poor survival for cancer patients.”

She warned the government it would not meet its target of diagnosing 75 per cent of cancers earlier – in stages one and two – by 2028 without significant extra investment.

Ms Mitchell added: “Before the pandemic around one in 10 diagnostic positions across the health service was unfulfilled, with two-thirds of staff saying they felt staffing levels were insufficient. We have an ageing and growing population, which means that demand on cancer services is likely to grow.

“Without a properly resourced workforce, we will not be able to meet this demand, let alone the ambitions to diagnose cancers earlier.”

The charity said the government needed to give an extra £260m to Health Education England so it could deliver a 45-per-cent increase in staff needed in diagnosis and treatment services.

The Royal College of Radiologists has also warned about the lack of staff and ageing equipment in the health service. Dr Jeanette Dickson, president of the college said: “Prior to Covid we were struggling to meet demand.  

She said: “At least 10 per cent of CT scanners are at least 10 years old which means they are slower and give a higher dose of radiation and they can’t often do the more up-to-date tests. With MRI up to a third of our machines are 10 years old.”

Dr Neil Smith, a Cancer Research UK GP for Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Alliance, said one-third of his practice staff were away from work due to coronavirus. He added: “I am worried about this winter. I’ve been doing this job for 25 years, I think it’s going to be the hardest time we’ve seen.

“My biggest fear is in future years I will be doing more home visits for palliative care because I, as a GP, am not diagnosing my patients soon enough this year as I have done in the past.

“Fewer patients are coming forward. They seem reluctant.”

Dr Smith said it was key now for patients to realise the NHS was open and to come forward to GPs with any signs and symptoms of cancer.

NHS England has said that about 85 per cent of cancer treatments were continued during the first wave of the pandemic, with 246,000 people being treated and 870,000 referred for checks.

It has set hospitals a target of restoring services back to 90 per cent of levels before the national lockdown was imposed in March.