War on Cancer to ensure ALL patients receive test results within 10 days as part of NHS plans to boost survival rates

Patients will receive cancer test results within 10 days under new NHS plans aimed at increasing survival rates, the Mail can reveal.

NHS England has written to local managers urging them to reduce the time it takes them to organise, administer and analyze blood tests and MRI scans.

This means doctors can start treatment sooner when the disease is easier to treat, or ease patients’ anxiety quickly by clarifying things.

The NHS opened 105 community diagnostic centers in convenient locations such as shopping centers to increase capacity.

These “one-stop shops” are expected to prioritize cancer patients, the letter adds.

NHS figures show just 58 per cent of cancer patients started treatment within two months of an urgent referral from a GP. The NHS’s own rulebook states that at least 85 per cent of cancer patients must be treated within that time frame, but that number has not been met since December 2015

Bosses hope the move will increase the number of patients diagnosed with cancer – or ruled out – within the 28-day target.

While some tests may be performed simultaneously, others will only be performed pending the results of previous reviews.

If there are long delays between tests, someone may wait too long if, for example, they need a scan and then a biopsy.

It is clear that currently on average less than one in ten trusts release cancer test results within ten days of a referral.

Everything should be on that schedule by March next year.

Moreover, only 75 percent of patients with cancer were diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days, according to the latest official figures in February.

READ MORE Patients suspected of having cancer could wait up to 2 years for NHS diagnosis, damning analysis shows

Figures released by the Labor Party show that the longest someone waited to see a specialist after receiving an urgent cancer referral from their GP was six months or 171 days.

Three officials from NHS England – the medical director for secondary care, the national cancer director and the chief operating officer – wrote to integrated care bodies and trusts yesterday, saying: “We know that shorter waiting times are important both for people with confirmed cancer where a previous one is diagnosis leads to better clinical outcomes, but also for those patients who do not have cancer, where rapid results can reduce a period of understandable anxiety.

Improving waiting times for patients referred for urgent suspected cancer will be a key priority for the NHS in the coming year.

“For these reasons, it is imperative that our nationwide investment in diagnostic capacity is more clearly prioritized for patients screened for urgent cancer suspects in the coming years.”

The number of patients waiting 62 days to start treatment fell from 33,950 in September last year to 19,027 in March this year.

More people are being screened for cancer than ever before, with 470,000 more screenings last year than in the same period before the pandemic.

Progress is being made despite the impact of union action, which has led to thousands of cancer appointments being postponed.

Jane Lyons, executive director of Cancer 52, which represents more than 100 patient support groups, said: “For the vast majority of patients whose tests show they do not have cancer, it will be more of a huge relief to come out of the disease as a time of extreme anxiety.” . , and for the approximately seven in 100 who will be diagnosed with cancer, it is crucial to get through this period of uncertainty and be able to discuss the next steps with doctors as soon as possible.

“When we know that a record number of people are being referred by their GPs for cancer tests, it is good to see the NHS making it clear that these patients must be a priority.”

Professor Mike Osborn, President of the Royal College of Pathologists, said: “We welcome the announcement of support for pathology services, which will help our members provide faster diagnoses that patients need.

Pathologists have long demanded improvements in digital pathology and infrastructure to help them deliver better patient care.

“We fully support this initiative and the new focus on pathology it should provide will, we hope, make a real difference to patients.”

Dame Cally Palmer, National Director of Cancer and NHS England, told the Mail: “It is a testament to the hard work of NHS staff that we are seeing and treating a record number of cancer patients and that we have made significant progress with the closing the backlog and achieving the target of diagnosing three quarters of people within 28 days – despite massive demand and pressure on the system.

“Thankfully the vast majority of suspected cancer patients waiting for a diagnostic test will not have cancer, but for those waiting it can be a very worrying time, so we are asking the Trusts to allow a 10 day time between GPs referrals and test results for patients – so we can get people to understand things faster or in some cases allow cancer patients to start treatment earlier.

“Catching cancer early saves lives, and although we are already diagnosing a greater proportion of cancers at an earlier stage than ever before, we want to ensure that we are making optimal use of the diagnostic capacity in our community centers and hospitals.”