Many NHS cancer targets set to be scrapped in England
NHS England is expected to confirm plans to cut several cancer targets, including the two-week target for urgent cancer referrals.
Patients with suspected cancer may have to wait longer to get a diagnosis under government proposals released today.
What are the current NHS cancer targets?
In England, currently, if a GP suspects cancer, at least:
- 93% should see a hospital consultant within a ‘2 week wait’ (2WW), from when the GP’s referral arrives at the hospital
- 96% should wait no more than 31 days (i.e. about a month) from receiving diagnosis to their first ‘treatment plan’
- 85% should wait no more than 62 days (i.e. about two months) to have their ‘first treatment’ (e.g. an operation or chemotherapy or radiotherapy) from arrival of original referral letter.
The two week target for urgent referral for cancer tests is expected to be scrapped under NHS England plans to streamline cancer targets.
Under a new NHS 28 day ‘faster diagnosis standard’ for cancer, 75% of patients should have a diagnosis or be told they do not have cancer within 28 days. Once diagnosed, patients should receive their first treatment within 62 days from referral (i.e. upto three months, if you include the initial 28 days) or 31 days after the decision to treat.
These three standards would replace nine existing cancer targets, including the three key ones described above: two-week referral, 31 day ‘treatment plan’, and 62 day ‘treatment start’ targets. All three of these current targets are sensible, easy(ish) to define and measure, and have stood the test of time.
What is our view?
Latest figures show that only 59% of patients in England start their first cancer treatment within 62 days (two months) of an urgent GP referral .. well short of the 85% target. The current two months to treatment is a weak target anyway. Imagine the anxiety of waiting two months for your cancer to be removed, knowing it is growing and possibly spreading.
In many European countries a patient will wait no more than 6 weeks from GP suspicion of cancer to the definitive operation.
MyHSN has significant concerns as the answers to several key questions are unclear:
- How is scrapping the 2 week target and morphing it into a new 28 day ‘faster diagnosis standard (FDS)’ helpful?
- Why are only 75% of patients expected to reach this standard? It is 96% as for the current 31 day standard, and a weaker 85% for the 62 day target. The new target is weaker still
- How can it be ‘better’ for 75% of patients to now wait for up to three months for treatment? What about the ‘other 25%’? Will they wait 6 months now for example?
- How will hospitals be rewarded/punished for hitting/not hitting the new standard? Clearly current performance management had failed.
Moving deckchairs and the Titanic come to mind.
MyHSN has related articles: 2 week cancer target and 31 and 62 day cancer targets.
