Hospital bosses vow to reduce cancer waiting times and acknowledge there's 'still more to do'
Hospital bosses have vowed to reduce cancer waiting times after figures showed that they are falling well short of hitting their targets.
Trusts serving patients in Lincolnshire and Rutland have acknowledged that there’s “still more to do” to address the issue after their performance was spelled out in NHS England data.
The University Hospitals of Leicester was ranked 113 out of 121 trusts for the number of cancer patients which started treatment within 62 days of being referred.
A total of 57 per cent of patients accessed treatment within this time at the hospital trust, missing the target of 85 per cent of patients.
The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust – now under the umbrella name of Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group – was ranked 89th out of 121 trusts for this measure.
The trust also fell well short of the 85 per cent target, with only 66 per cent of patients getting treatment within 62 days of a referral.
The North West Anglia Trust was ranked 63rd in a table drawn up by BBC News.
A total of 71 per cent of its patients got treatment within the 62 day treatment timeframe.
Damian Carter, deputy chief operating officer at Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “In Lincolnshire, like the majority of other NHS organisations nationally, we have faced significant challenges in meeting cancer performance targets.
“This has meant that some patients may not have started their treatment as quickly as we would have liked them to.
“We recognise that we still have more work to do to improve the care and experience for our patients and their loved ones, and would like to reassure that we are already making changes to support this.
“This includes changing how patients move through our services to make it easier to access care and to help us to better manage the significant demand for services.”
He is expecting the next set of figures to show an improvement.
Dr Callum Gardner, chief medical officer at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals, said: “As a trust, over the last two years we have gone from one of the worst performing hospitals for cancer performance in the country, to the fourth most improved nationally.
“Accepting that we still have further to go, we wish to assure our patients and community that every priority is given to ensuring that cancer pathways progress as quickly and safely as possible.”
Dr Gardner said that some complex cancer cases “cannot be delivered” within 62 days and require “specialist support” from tertiary care centres.
He added: “While we aim to ensure diagnosis and care can be delivered locally, this unfortunately is not always possible. However due to technological advances within our diagnostic and treatment abilities, receiving care much closer to home is improving and this improves the overall performance picture for cancer waiting times and enhances patient experience.”
Dr Gardner went on to say that the trust has made “significant improvements” over the last 18 months as part of its Cancer Improvement Programme.
He said the hospital trust is working hard to ensure that it has the “right capacity” to meet the demand for treatments and theatre operations and improve the patient experience.
Helen Hendley, chief operating officer at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said: “Cancer care is a priority for us, and we are working hard to increase capacity and reduce the time patients wait for diagnosis and treatment.
“UHL is one of the busiest trusts in the country for cancer referrals, and demand has continued to grow significantly in recent years.
“We are taking a wide range of actions to improve access and shorten waits.
“This includes running additional clinics, expanding diagnostic and theatre capacity, and working with clinical teams to introduce digital solutions that streamline patient pathways.”
Ms Hendley went on to say that the trust has opened a new Community Diagnostic Centre in Hinckley and a new Endoscopy Unit at Leicester General Hospital.
She said that the hospital trust is working with NHS England and the East Midlands Cancer Alliance to expand its capacity and reduce cancer waiting times.
Ms Hendley added: “While progress has been made, we know there is more to do, and we remain fully committed to improving the experience and outcomes for our patients.”