Latest news with #oncologists
The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
People with cancer face ‘ticking timebomb' due to NHS staff shortages
People with cancer face a 'ticking timebomb' of delays in getting diagnosed and treated because the NHS is too short-staffed to provide prompt care, senior doctors have warned. An NHS-wide shortage of radiologists and oncologists means patients are enduring long waits to have surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have a consultant review their care. Hold-ups lead to some people's cancer spreading, which can reduce the chances of their treatment working and increase the risk of death, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) said. NHS cancer services are struggling to keep up with rising demand for tests, such as scans and X-rays, and treatment, created by the growing number of people getting the disease. Evidence the RCR collected from the heads of NHS cancer centres across the UK and the clinical directors of radiology departments shows that delays to potentially 'life-saving' care occur because of 'chronic' workforce gaps. All radiology bosses surveyed said during 2024 their units could not scan all patients within the NHS's maximum waiting times because they did not have enough staff. 'Delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment will inevitably mean that for some patients their cancer will progress while they wait, making successful treatment more difficult and risking their survival,' said Dr Katharine Halliday, the RCR's president. The findings are particularly worrying because research has found that a patient's risk of death can increase by about 10% for each month they have to wait for treatment. Nine out of 10 cancer centre chiefs said patients were delayed starting their treatment last year while seven in 10 said they feared workforce gaps were putting patients' safety at risk. 'The government must train up more radiologists and oncologists to defuse this ticking timebomb for cancer diagnosis and treatment,' added Halliday. One head of a cancer service said patients with suspected bladder or prostate cancer had faced long waits to be tested, that more than 1,500 patients had to wait longer than they should for a follow-up appointment to review their treatment, and that staff were feeling 'burnt out'. Other doctors also said: 'Our waiting times for breast radiotherapy are now the worst I have ever known in 20 years.' 'Current wait for head and neck cancers [is] six weeks, meaning possible progression before radiotherapy.' 'A multiple week wait for palliative treatment has sometimes led to deterioration to the point is no longer possible.' Some cancer centres are so short-staffed that they are sending patients to be treated quicker at nearby hospitals under 'mutual aid' agreements, the RCR says in two reports published on Thursday. Radiologists and clinical oncologists face 'unsustainable' workloads, it adds. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The strain of working in overstretched cancer services is so great that doctors are quitting at younger ages, with some even doing so while still in their 30s, the RCR found. Genevieve Edwards, the chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: 'The disease is treatable and curable if diagnosed early, but too many patients are facing long delays to start their treatment after going to their GP with symptoms. These delays may lead to the cancer spreading, making it harder to treat successfully.' The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged that too many patients face delays. 'This government inherited a broken NHS where too many cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment but through our plan for change, we are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster,' a spokesperson said. 'We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5bn in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country, and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above inflation pay rises for the second year in a row. 'Later this year we will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places to deliver the care patients need.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘Postcode lottery' sees cancer patients face delays to treatment
A new report has revealed that cancer patients across the UK are experiencing "dangerous" delays in their care due to widespread staff shortages. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has warned that these gaps in the cancer workforce are putting patient safety at risk. Despite some increases in staffing, the college asserts that these are not keeping pace with the growing demand from patients. The RCR has called on the government to take immediate action to address what it describes as a "ticking time bomb" for cancer patients. According to the RCR, pledges to reduce cancer waiting lists are unattainable without an increase in staff. Their reports on oncology and radiology staffing shortages highlight that these issues are creating a "postcode lottery" for patients, with smaller cancer centres more likely to report concerns over workforce shortages. The report on oncologists, or cancer doctors, indicates that 70 per cent of heads of service at cancer centres are worried about the impact of workforce shortages on patient safety. Furthermore, 23 per cent reported that they were unable to hire additional staff due to recruitment freezes. One consultant clinical oncologist told the RCR: 'Safe delivery of cancer treatment is becoming increasingly impossible.' Another said: 'Our waiting times for breast radiotherapy are now the worst I have ever known in 20 years. Patients are waiting over four weeks to be seen … and then another eight weeks to start radiotherapy.' Meanwhile, the report on radiologists – the specialists who use clinical images to diagnose, treat and manage medical conditions and diseases, including cancer – highlights how the radiology workforce grew by 4.7% in 2024, but demand for CT and MRI imaging grew by 8%. One consultant radiologist said: 'Patients are waiting longer than they should … and we have had several delayed cancer diagnoses as a result.' The RCR has predicted that by 2029 there will be a 39% shortfall in the number of radiologists in the UK, and there will be a 19% shortfall in oncologists. The college said workforce pressures are also forcing staff to take early retirement – the average age of radiologists leaving the NHS workforce is now just 50 years old, down from 55 in 2020, and the average age a consultant clinical oncologist leaves is now 54, from 59 in 2022. Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: 'Patients are being failed by a chronic lack of radiologists and oncologists. 'Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, there aren't enough doctors to ensure prompt, safe and effective care – and the outlook is bleak. 'We are doing all we can to boost productivity, but there's a limit to how far we can go. The reality is we simply don't have enough staff. 'Any credible plan to cut waiting lists relies on having the headcount to meet the demand we face today, let alone tomorrow. 'The longer we delay action, the worse it gets. The government must train up more radiologists and oncologists to defuse this ticking time bomb for cancer diagnosis and treatment.' Commenting on the report, Genevieve Edwards, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: '(Bowel cancer) is treatable and curable if diagnosed early, but too many patients are facing long delays to start their treatment after going to their GP with symptoms. 'These delays may lead to the cancer spreading, making it harder to treat successfully. 'To fix this problem we must address the longstanding shortage of staff and equipment to deliver diagnostic and treatment services and meet the growing demand.' Chiara De Biase, from Prostate Cancer UK, added: 'These latest findings are extremely concerning. Prostate Cancer UK would urge the Government to look at the RCR's recommendations to ensure the workforce required to diagnose and treat the most common cancer in England are in post, trained and supported to execute their roles to best of their abilities.' Claire Rowney, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, added: 'The worrying reality right now is that staff shortages continue to deny far too many people with breast cancer a timely diagnosis and quick access to potentially lifesaving treatments that they should be able to count on. 'Instead, they're facing long, anxious waits for this care. 'We recognise the intense challenges facing the health service, and the tireless efforts of its hard-working staff. 'However, this situation has to be addressed and the Government's upcoming national cancer plan for England offers a vital opportunity to bring about this much-needed change.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This Government inherited a broken NHS where too many cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. But through our Plan for Change, we are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster. 'We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5 billion in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country, and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above-inflation pay rises for the second year in a row. 'Later this year we will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places to deliver the care patients need.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Ian Paterson: Coroner rejects surgeon's opioid claim
A coroner has rejected a suggestion by jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson that one of his patients died of an opioid disgraced doctor told an inquest into the death of Elaine Morris on Tuesday that he was concerned her official cause of death - carcinomatosis and breast carcinoma - was told the inquest "I'm concerned she died of opiate overdose", but two oncologists acting as experts to the inquests disagreed with Paterson's hearing their evidence on Wednesday, judge Richard Foster said he could "safely reject opioid toxicity" as the cause of death of the 45-year-old from Shirley, West Midlands. Paterson, who treated thousands of women at hospitals in the West Midlands, had told the inquest on Tuesday that Ms Morris's reported drowsiness in her medical notes suggested she was being overdosed on inquest heard that Ms Morris was being administered two opioids for pain relief: morphine sulphate tablets (MST) and Oramorph. Her medical notes showed her being introduced to MST with 10mg sachets, being increased to 30mg and then reduced to 20mg due to "sleepiness".The oncologists, Prof David Dodwell and Prof Pat Price, agreed that these were "entry level doses", with some patients being given up to 100mg or 150mg of led them to believe she not had died of opioid toxicity, which the coroner then rejected as a potential cause of death. Risks of radiotherapy Elaine Morris's inquest is one of 63 into the deaths of Ian Paterson's former patients, to determine whether they died unnatural deaths. This includes determining whether Paterson left any breast tissue behind during surgery which may have disgraced surgeon was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017, after being convicted of wounding patients with botched and unnecessary operations, but will be eligible for release in Morris died in 2002, aged 45, having been diagnosed with breast cancer aged inquest heard that she had suffered from severe epilepsy and cerebral palsy, as well as learning difficulties. Oncologist Dr Talaat Latief had deemed radiotherapy unsafe for her, due to her inability to lie still and be in a room on her own, and claimed she would be unable to withstand the side-effects of Price and Prof Dodwell both agreed that radiotherapy was a "non-starter" for Ms Morris, with Prof Price saying chemotherapy would have been "a high risk for a small benefit" for Prof Dodwell expressed concern that Paterson performed surgery on Ms Morris when radiotherapy was never going to be an option for her."He's an experienced breast surgeon, he knows full well radiotherapy would be required," he told the performed three surgeries on Ms Morris while she was a private patient with Spire Healthcare: a wide local excision on her right breast in September 1999, a diagnostic excision biopsy in January 2000, before performing a complete mastectomy in November 2000. The inquest had also raised the question as to whether Paterson performing a mastectomy prior to November 2000 could have improved Ms Morris's a written report, Prof Price said: "In my opinion earlier mastectomy would not have altered the natural history of the disease and did not contribute to Ms Morris's demise, which was due to her having poor biology breast cancer and not being able to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy due to her comorbidities."However, at the inquest, both professors said they would defer to surgical experts on questions regarding the conclusion of her written report, Prof Price said: "In terms of causation, in this individual case the death appears to have been due to the extremely aggressive biology of Ms Morris' tumour and her inability to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to her comorbidities and inability to achieve control of her local disease."She added: "In my opinion, I can find no evidence that the treatment Ms Morris received from Mr Paterson or any other clinician more than minimally, negligibly or trivially contributed to her death." Prof Price, who is instructed by Spire Healthcare in 11 cases involving Paterson at the company's private hospitals, had also been asked by the solicitors to the inquest to conduct a review of reports made by the medical experts on the inquests' multi-disciplinary team (MDT). It came after Paterson raised concerns at the end of last year that one of the experts had shown bias and that their evidence should be excluded, in all of the cases not involving Spire cited an email from one of the MDT experts, professor and consultant breast surgeon Mike Dixon, in which he wrote to another member: "We need to find some way though of exposing Paterson as a liar and an incompetent surgeon."While the email was "unfortunate, inappropriate and clumsy", Judge Foster said, it was not by itself indicative of actual or unconscious this, he concluded it was best that Professor Dixon withdraw from the MDT for the purposes of the ongoing inquiries. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Horizon Health leads Canada's first in-home cancer treatment trial
In a new cancer study led by Horizon Health oncologists, 15 to 20 New Brunswickers will receive in-home treatment for certain types of lung cancer. Dr. Mahmoud Abdelsalam says if the trial is successful, in-home treatment would benefit both patients and the health-care system.
Washington Post
25-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
More kids are beating cancer. Improving the rest of their lives is next.
When oncologists gave my 5-year-old daughter the all-clear from high-risk neuroblastoma in 2010, I breathed a sigh of relief. But her health needs were just beginning. Fifteen years later, the intense and often toxic treatments that saved Emily's life have left her with a host of lifelong health challenges — hearing loss, stunted height, endocrine and kidney dysfunction, and permanent hair-thinning — issues no one talked about during her 18 months of cancer treatment.
