Cancer patients in South Yorkshire face worsening delays for NHS treatment

That's according to radiology experts

Author: Chris Davis-SmithPublished 8th Jun 2023

There's a warning cancer patients face worsening delays for NHS treatment due to staff shortages.

A report from the Royal College of Radiologists found some doctors are having to make "difficult decisions" about who to prioritise.

Figures from March show almost 30% of patients at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals had to wait longer than a fortnight to see a consultant following an urgent GP referral - up from 10 percent during the same month last year.

68-year-old Christine Dickinson was treated within two weeks in Sheffield following her cancer diagnosis back in 2010:

"I think if I was diagnosed now, I would be more concerned about how quickly I would get treatment.

"It is wrong that people have to wait so long - because it's not just the waiting for the diagnosis - once you've been diagnosed, you're then in limbo until you start your treatment.

"I was on a two-week wait, and I was diagnosed in about September.

"By March of the following year, I was cancer free, so I have no complaints at all about my care or follow up care."

The Department of Health says the number of specialist cancer doctors in the NHS is up 50% compared to 2010 - with record numbers of people being treated.

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