An evaluation by a panel of experts has rated Government progress
as ‘inadequate’ against commitments made to improve cancer
services.
It is the first time that the independent Expert Panel, appointed
by the Health and Social Care Committee, has given an overall
rating of inadequate to Government commitments it has evaluated.
The Health and Social Care Committee asked the Expert Panel to
evaluate progress against pledges made by Ministers across a
range of policy areas - workforce, diagnostics, living well with
and beyond cancer, and technology and innovation with CQC-style
ratings against five specific commitments. The work of the Expert
Panel was conducted alongside an inquiry by the Committee into
cancer services with its report to be published next week.
The Expert Panel acknowledges that while some progress has been
made in areas such as investment in diagnostics and innovative
technologies and treatments, the lack of adequate long-term
planning for, and investment in, the cancer workforce undermined
progress made and justified the inadequate rating.
Chair's comments
Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair of the Expert Panel, said:
“It is clear that cancer services are facing overwhelming
pressure. We identified one recurrent theme - shortages of
professional staff across cancer services are undermining
achievement across every commitment we looked at.
Overall, we rate Government progress to meet its commitments as
inadequate, the first time that we have found sufficient concerns
in an area to warrant this rating.
On individual commitments, we also rate progress to increase the
numbers being diagnosed at earlier stages of cancer as
inadequate, while progress on faster diagnosis requires
improvement.
Despite a commitment that all those with cancer will have access
to personalised care, we found provision patchy without enough
staff to give the care that patients have a right to expect.
Our evaluation has also uncovered stark inequalities across
cancer types and different regions in the country, not only on
diagnosis but in what that will mean for their chances of
survival."
