New figures have exposed the damaging impact that ongoing NHS
industrial action is having on cancer care in England.
Data obtained by Labour through Freedom of Information request
has shown that around 36,000 NHS cancer appointments have been
cancelled due to strikes since December 2022, when junior doctors
first walked out.
The news comes as the government holds a summit in Number 10
Downing Street to prepare for this year’s NHS winter crisis,
which they have failed to invite junior doctors and consultants
to attend. This is despite the strikes still ongoing, and joint
action by junior doctors and consultants planned for the first
time in history next week.
Yet Health Secretary and his junior ministers
haven’t met with striking NHS staff in months. Ministers last met
with the junior doctors committee of the BMA in May this year,
while the consultants committee have not met the Government for
six months – before they had balloted to begin industrial action.
This is despite almost 1 million operations and appointments
being cancelled so far due to strike action.
Analysis from the House of Commons Library has shown the extent
of the crisis in cancer care under the Conservatives. Since
took office, hundreds of
thousands of cancer patients have waited longer than NHS
standards for appointments.
From October 2022 to June 2023, 418,000 patients
waited longer than the targeted two weeks to have their first
consultant appointment about a suspected cancer. No cancer
waiting time standards were met in the figures for June 2023, and
most targets haven’t been regularly met since before the
pandemic.
, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary,
said:
“When it comes to cancer, delays cost lives. From
my own experience of kidney cancer, I know the importance of fast
treatment. Ministers’ stubborn refusal to meet with NHS
doctors is putting cancer patients at risk.
“How can hold a summit to prepare for
the winter crisis and forget to invite junior doctors and
consultants. They are the people he most urgently needs to get
around the table, to bring an end to these strikes.
“There were no national strikes in the NHS during
13 years of the last Labour government. If has given up on governing, he
should call an election so Labour can restore the NHS to good
health.”
Ends
Notes
- All data from Freedom of Information requests submitted by
the Labour Party to NHS trusts that asked:
How many cancer appointments have been cancelled at your
trust due to industrial action since 1st
December 2022
48 trusts responded to the request, 35 of which provided full
responses, totalling 9,310 cancelled cancer appointments and
operations. Extrapolating the data across 137 English acute
trusts gives an estimate of 36,442 cancelled cancer appointments
and operations.
- Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care have
not met with junior doctors or consultants for four and six
months respectively.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-07-14/194217
- Almost 1 million appointments and operations have been
cancelled due to strike action since December
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66653017
- Figures from House of Commons Library analysis of NHS
data.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
-
Target: A maximum two week wait between urgent
GP referral and first consultant appointment for 93% of
patients
Last regularly met: Early 2018
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
418,412
-
Target: Maximum 28 day wait from urgent GP
referral to diagnosis (cancer diagnosed or definitively
excluded) for 75% of patients
Last regularly met: Never yet been met since measurement of the
28 day faster diagnosis standard began in April 2021
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
623,676
-
Target: Maximum two month (62 day) wait
between urgent GP referral and starting cancer treatment for
85% of patients
Last regularly met: Early 2014
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
55,218
-
Target: Maximum two week wait between urgent
GP referral and first appointment for breast symptoms (where
cancer not initially suspected) for 93% of patients
Last regularly met: Late 2017
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
23,074
-
Target: Maximum one month (31 day) wait for a
first cancer treatment after a decision to treat for 96% of
patients
Last regularly met: Early 2020
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
22,210
-
Target: Maximum one month (31 day) wait for
subsequent cancer treatment after a decision to treat
(anti-cancer drugs) for 98% of patients
Last regularly met: March 2023
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
1,768
-
Target: Maximum one month (31 day) wait for
subsequent cancer treatment after a decision to treat
(radiotherapy) for 94% of patients
Last regularly met: February 2022
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
9,322
-
Target: Maximum one month (31 day) wait for
subsequent cancer treatment after a decision to treat (surgery)
for 94% of patients
Last regularly met: July 2018
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
9,219
-
Target: Maximum two month (62 day) wait from a
National Screening Service referral to a first treatment for
cancer for 90% of patients
Last regularly met: March 2018
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
5,662
-
Target: Maximum two month (62 day) wait for
first treatment following a consultant upgrade
Last regularly met: N/A (no set benchmark for this target)
Number of patients who have waited longer since Sunak became PM:
11,688
