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Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Monday, 27 June 2005 12:03

BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk

More progress needed on cancer waits

The Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt is set to tell a cancer conference that more progress needs to be made in cutting patient waits from referral to treatment to two months, and from diagnosis to surgery to one month.

The targets were set as part of the 2000 Cancer Plan but progress has faltered on the two-month referral to treatment goal.

Ms Hewitt will tell the National Cancer Waits conference that progress has been made on the one-month diagnosis to treatment goal but there are still “bottlenecks” and more focus is needed.

Official Statistics indicate that 20 per cent of patients are not being seen within the two-month limit, while 10 per cent are not seen within the one-month target.

Joanne Rule, chief executive of the charity CancerBACUP, said that the targets were standard in many countries but the Government was struggling to meet them.

"There are problems with both of them, but especially the two-month target," she said on the BBC Health website.

"Diagnosis doesn't happen with just one test, so while the two-month wait incorporates all the different tests, the other one does not start until the diagnosis has been made.

"Our surveys does not suggest there is a lack of resources, except maybe in a few areas, so we can still meet them.

"What we need now is for everyone involved to concentrate and work hard.

"These targets matter - in many other countries these waits would seem a long time."

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