NHS foundation trust that runs Peterborough City Hospital aims to reduce waiting lists for cancer patients

The NHS foundation trust which run Peterborough City Hospital has introduced same day CT scan to reduce waiting lists for cancer patients.

Cancer waiting times in the UK have shown services are struggling. This is potentially impacting the increase in cancer deaths.

An analysis from Cancer Research UK revealed that there could be a 17% increase on the number of cancer deaths by the end of the new government’s first parliamentary term since the last term in 2019.

Health Policy Manager at Cancer Research UK, Matt Sample, said:

"The key thing that government can do to make a difference on cancer is to commit to delivering a dedicated cancer strategy that prevents more cancers, support the research and a better kind of treatments and importantly, gives the NHS the resources that it needs to diagnose and treat people quickly and with the best possible treatments."

"The waiting time targets haven't been hit since 2015 and we've continued to see performance against those key targets for people to be diagnosed and treated worsening over the last few years. That's a real concern because for patients that means waiting in limbo in what's already a worrying time longer than they should be. We know for some patients with faster growing cancers, this can make a difference to their treatment options too."

"So Cancer Research UK's predictions are showing that 900,000 people are projected to die with cancer over the next five years. It is a large number but, we have to remember that each one of those numbers is somebody's loved one, someone's partner, in somebody's family."

To tackle waiting times, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust are now offering some patients a 'same day CT' scan.

Getting the scan on the same day speeds up the waiting time for planning and receiving treatment.

Rachael Bilton, Consultant GI Radiographer, at North West Anglia Foundation Trust, who run Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals commented:

'Our hospital Endoscopy and Imaging teams worked together, with input from Pharmacy, to give patients the required preparation for CT scanning on the same day as their Endoscopy. This will help to improve the journey for patients with newly diagnosed oesophageal or colonic carcinoma.'

'Previously these patients would be referred for their staging scans following their Endoscopy and receive an outpatient CT appointment for a subsequent date. The new pathway will give patients more options and greater choice for their on-going care at our Trust, reducing waiting times and helping to achieve the Faster Diagnosis Standards (FDS) for patients.'

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