Latest news with #IncisiveHealth
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Too many ‘martyrs' ignore cancer symptoms for fear of burdening NHS, report finds
Too many cancer patients risk having their symptoms missed because they are 'martyrs' who do not want to overburden the NHS, a report warns. The report by the consultancy Incisive Health calls for the health service to become an 'early intervention service' where cases of the disease are caught in early stages. The author of the report said more people must overcome their reluctance to seek help if more cancers are to be diagnosed at stages one and two before they have spread. 'No one wants people with symptoms of cancer to become martyrs due to holding off seeking medical attention because they didn't want to bother their GP or overload the NHS', said Mike Birtwistle, who wrote the report. 'Too many people avoid seeking help because they know how stretched the NHS is. This kind of martyrdom to protect the NHS results in too many people being diagnosed at a late stage, damaging their survival chances.' The NHS should be 'mobilising people with signs and symptoms' of cancer, the report adds. The report continues: 'There should also be a continued role for raising public awareness of signs and symptoms and – most importantly – motivating them to act. 'Experts highlighted that people are often conditioned not to 'bother' the NHS.' The report also says that GPs could be discouraging patients from having a check-up so they do not contribute to the burden of hospitals that are under pressure. It explains: 'Primary healthcare professionals have a role in previously guarding NHS resources, which can act as a deterrent for seeking help.' Latest figures reveal GPs in England made 235,157 urgent cancer referrals in December, down from 259,563 in November, but up from 220,350 in December 2023. The report also reveals the NHS has consistently failed to meet a target to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at stages one and two between 2018 and 2024, with only 60 per cent spotted by that point. It comes as the Labour Government is developing a National Cancer Plan, which is expected to be published next spring. Earlier in February, the Government launched a call for evidence to help shape a plan to transform how the disease is treated and create a roadmap to reduce deaths. Mr Birtwistle said Labour ministers should use their forthcoming 10-year health plan and the cancer plan to embed a more proactive approach to cancer detection in the NHS. Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK's director of evidence and interpretation, told The Guardian: 'People shouldn't be discouraged from going to their doctor if something doesn't feel right for them. They aren't 'bothering' their GP or 'burdening' the NHS.' Mr Turabi urged the NHS to focus on improving attendance rates for its three main cancer screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of the King's Fund think tank, said: 'There's strong evidence that finding cancer early leads to better treatment and survival, so we should redouble efforts to make community access to prevention and early detection services as easy and convenient as possible.' In response, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said the NHS was diagnosing and treating more early-stage cancers than ever. He said: 'There are many reasons why people are reluctant to come forward and get checked, from not recognising the key signs and symptoms of cancer to not wanting to burden the NHS unnecessarily.' Prof Powis added that approaches such as offering lung checks to smokers and ex-smokers in high-tech mobile scanning trucks in supermarket car parks are improving early diagnoses. Figures reveal the number of people in Britain being diagnosed with cancer every year has risen to about 412,400, or one every 90 seconds. Factors behind this increase are include an ageing population and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption. They also show that around 167,000 people die from the disease every year, amount to 460 a day. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Too many ‘martyrs' ignore cancer symptoms for fear of burdening NHS, report finds
Too many cancer patients risk having their symptoms missed because they are 'martyrs' who do not want to overburden the NHS, a report warns. The report by the consultancy Incisive Health calls for the health service to become an 'early intervention service' where cases of the disease are caught in early stages. The author of the report said more people must overcome their reluctance to seek help if more cancers are to be diagnosed at stages one and two before they have spread. 'No one wants people with symptoms of cancer to become martyrs due to holding off seeking medical attention because they didn't want to bother their GP or overload the NHS', said Mike Birtwistle, who wrote the report. 'Too many people avoid seeking help because they know how stretched the NHS is. This kind of martyrdom to protect the NHS results in too many people being diagnosed at a late stage, damaging their survival chances.' The NHS should be ' mobilising people with signs and symptoms ' of cancer, the report adds. The report continues: 'There should also be a continued role for raising public awareness of signs and symptoms and – most importantly – motivating them to act. 'Experts highlighted that people are often conditioned not to 'bother' the NHS.' The report also says that GPs could be discouraging patients from having a check-up so they do not contribute to the burden of hospitals that are under pressure. It explains: 'Primary healthcare professionals have a role in previously guarding NHS resources, which can act as a deterrent for seeking help.' Latest figures reveal GPs in England made 235,157 urgent cancer referrals in December, down from 259,563 in November, but up from 220,350 in December 2023. NHS targets not met The report also reveals the NHS has consistently failed to meet a target to diagnose 75 per cent of cancers at stages one and two between 2018 and 2024, with only 60 per cent spotted by that point. It comes as the Labour Government is developing a National Cancer Plan, which is expected to be published next spring. Earlier in February, the Government launched a call for evidence to help shape a plan to transform how the disease is treated and create a roadmap to reduce deaths. Mr Birtwistle said Labour ministers should use their forthcoming 10-year health plan and the cancer plan to embed a more proactive approach to cancer detection in the NHS. Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK's director of evidence and interpretation, told The Guardian: 'People shouldn't be discouraged from going to their doctor if something doesn't feel right for them. They aren't 'bothering' their GP or 'burdening' the NHS.' Mr Turabi urged the NHS to focus on improving attendance rates for its three main cancer screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of the King's Fund think tank, said: 'There's strong evidence that finding cancer early leads to better treatment and survival, so we should redouble efforts to make community access to prevention and early detection services as easy and convenient as possible.' In response, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said the NHS was diagnosing and treating more early-stage cancers than ever. He said: 'There are many reasons why people are reluctant to come forward and get checked, from not recognising the key signs and symptoms of cancer to not wanting to burden the NHS unnecessarily.' Prof Powis added that approaches such as offering lung checks to smokers and ex-smokers in high-tech mobile scanning trucks in supermarket car parks are improving early diagnoses. Figures reveal the number of people in Britain being diagnosed with cancer every year has risen to about 412,400, or one every 90 seconds. Factors behind this increase are include an ageing population and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption. They also show that around 167,000 people die from the disease every year, amount to 460 a day.
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
NHS in England urged to become ‘early intervention service' on cancer
Too many people are at risk of becoming 'martyrs' by not getting symptoms of cancer checked out because they do not want to burden the NHS, a report warns, which calls for earlier testing to diagnose those at higher risk. The report, by the health consultancy Incisive Health, sets out ways in which the NHS in England can catch more cancers early and thus save lives by becoming more of an 'early intervention service'. It comes as the government draws up its first dedicated cancer strategy since 2015 . Evidence has shown that a desire not to 'bother' a GP is more common among those with potential signs of cancer in the UK than in other countries. Between a fifth and a third of people in Britain would not want to waste the doctor's time. Cancer specialists have urged people with symptoms such as fatigue, bleeding and weight loss to get investigated urgently, so they can start treatment sooner if they do have it. Failure to act quickly helps to explain Britain's dismal record, by international standards, in diagnosing cancer early. Although cancer survival has risen, the UK still lags behind other countries in identifying cases early, despite initiatives to encourage people to act on symptoms more promptly. 'People shouldn't be discouraged from going to their doctor if something doesn't feel right for them. They aren't 'bothering' their GP or 'burdening' the NHS,' said Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK's director of evidence and interpretation. Overcoming reluctance to seek help is vital if Britain is to diagnose more cancers at stages one and two , before they have spread, and when they are more curable, the report says. It was written by Incisive's Mike Birtwistle , who interviewed doctors, senior NHS personnel and key figures in cancer in his research. 'No one wants people with symptoms of cancer to become martyrs due to holding off seeking medical attention because they didn't want to bother their GP or overload the NHS. Too many people avoid seeking help because they know how stretched the NHS is,' said Birtwistle. 'This kind of martyrdom to protect the NHS results in too many people being diagnosed at a late stage, damaging their survival chances.' The NHS should be 'mobilising people with signs and symptoms' of cancer, the report says. 'There should also be a continued role for raising public awareness of signs and symptoms and – most importantly – motivating them to act. Experts highlighted that people are often conditioned not to 'bother' the NHS.' It highlights that GPs can also discourage patients from having a check-up because they do not want to add to the strain on already pressured hospitals. 'Primary healthcare professionals have a role in previously guarding NHS resources, which can act as a deterrent for seeking help.' Studies have found that Britain takes longer than many other countries to diagnose cancer . Survival rates are up to 25 years behind those in other European countries and lives are being lost as a result, Macmillan Cancer Support analysis found last year. The number of people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer every year has risen to about 412,400 – one every 90 seconds – due to the ageing population and lifestyle factors such as obesity and alcohol. About 167,000 people die a year – 460 a day – from what is Britain's biggest killer after heart disease. The NHS has consistently failed to meet a target to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two between 2018 and 2024, with only 60% spotted by then, the report reveals. But it could increase early detections by: Offering prostate cancer screening to men at higher risk of the disease, including black men and those with a family history or specific genetic mutations. Extending lung cancer checks to people who have been exposed to passive smoking or live in areas of high pollution. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Assessing people for pancreatic cancer who have been diagnosed with diabetes and lost weight. Extending liver health checks, which are already offered to some people at higher risk of liver cancer and provided at GP surgeries, homeless shelters and sexual health clinics. Assessing the health of the oesophagus (food pipe) in people who have taken drugs that tackle stomach acid, called proton pump inhibitors, as that can increase the risk of oesophageal cancer. The government should use its forthcoming ten-year health plan and the cancer plan to embed a more proactive approach to cancer detection in the NHS, Birtwistle said. But the NHS should focus on improving attendance rates for its three cancer screening programmes – for breast, bowel and cervical cancer – before introducing screening initiatives that may not be based on good evidence, Turabi said. Hospitals should offer more convenient appointments, more online booking and an at-home testing kit to those who have shunned an offer of cervical screening, he said. Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of the King's Fund thinktank, said: 'There's strong evidence that finding cancer early leads to better treatment and survival, so we should redouble efforts to make community access to prevention and early detection services as easy and convenient as possible.' The NHS was diagnosing and treating more early-stage cancers than ever, when the chances of a good outcome were higher, said Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director. About 7,300 people a year are being diagnosed at stage one or two than before the Covid pandemic. 'There are many reasons why people are reluctant to come forward and get checked, from not recognising the key signs and symptoms of cancer to not wanting to burden the NNS unnecessarily,' Powis said. The health service is improving early diagnosis through approaches such as offering lung checks to smokers and ex-smokers in hi-tech mobile scanning trucks in supermarket car parks, Powis added. They have led to thousands of people being diagnosed earlier than would otherwise have happened.
