Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Paragraph: 86
We recognise that the disruption to cancer services during the pandemic was primarily driven by...
Conclusion
We recognise that the disruption to cancer services during the pandemic was primarily driven by the need to mitigate the risk posed by Covid-19 to patients undergoing cancer treatment. We also recognise the efforts made by the NHS to maintain treatment or offer alternative treatment options. Nonetheless, we remain extremely concerned at the ongoing disruption to cancer treatment and the lives lost prematurely as a result. While NHS England has continued to prioritise cancer services, we are yet to be convinced that there is sufficient recognition of the scale of the issue, and we are deeply concerned that the target for clearing the backlog for cancer diagnosis and treatment has been moved back by an entire year.
Paragraph Reference:
86
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Cancer diagnosis and treatment has remained a top priority throughout the pandemic, and the vast majority of cancer services have been maintained thanks to the tireless work of NHS staff. There were over 4.9 million urgent referrals and over 600,000 people started cancer treatment between March 2020 and March 2022. Cancer first treatment activity has been above pre-pandemic levels for the last quarter (102% in Jan and Feb; and 103% in March). At the start of the pandemic, urgent suspected cancer referrals fell sharply – in one month (April 2020) to around 40% of usual levels and breast screening services were disrupted. pandemic than we would have expected - around 32 000 people, mostly for prostate and breast cancers. The NHS has run successful awareness campaigns to encourage people to come forward with symptoms. Overall, in 2021/22, urgent suspected cancer referrals were at 110% of pre-pandemic levels and the shortfall in referrals has been recovered for most cancers. The largest cumulative shortfall remains in urological cancers and lung cancers and the NHS has been targeting awareness activity in those areas. Urgent suspected urology cancer referrals were at 120% of pre-pandemic levels in March 2022, the highest level during the pandemic, following our partnership awareness campaign with Prostate Cancer UK in March and April. Over 550,000 people completed the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker in response to the campaign, 80% of whom were at higher risk and were provided with information to support their decision to seek a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. Cancer Waiting Times Standards. Through delivery of the Delivery plan for tacking the COVID-19 backlog of elective care and the 2022/23 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance, the NHS will ensure that: • 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by their GP for suspected cancer will be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days by March 2024. This will help contribute to the existing NHS Long Term Plan ambitions on early cancer diagnosis. • Local systems will reduce the number of people waiting more than 62 days from an urgent referral for cancer will return to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023. • Local systems will meet the increased level of referrals and treatment required to reduce the shortfall in number of first treatments. To support the NHS in elective and cancer care recovery we announced a £1 billion Elective Recovery Fund at Spending Review 2020. As part of this, a £20 million investment was made available to Cancer Alliances to help speed up cancer diagnosis and help manage the high volume of referrals. We also announced a further £5.4 billion funding package for October 2021 to March 2022. This includes an additional £500m of capital investment funding and £1 billion additional funding for elective activity, which cancer is being prioritised within.