Cancer Treatment Guarantees

[nottheemptynest]

I am supporting two close families members undergoing cancer treatment and I am very concerned about going back to the old days my mother-in-law had to wait 18 months for a hip replacement. I think the NHS should give patients guarantees. It's not about red tape but knowing that if it was you Doctors would see you quickly and not leave you worried on your own. Fast diagnosis saves lives after all.

Sorry, dont know what your point is, could you elaborate?

Are you saying that cancer care should be quicker and that the targets set out should be adhered to?

Are there plans to change this?

In the past when there were no "targets" patients had to wait for very long periods like 18months for a hop replacement. Now there are targets for cancer treatments and treatment is faster. I don't want the conservatives to go back to the past by removing the targets for fast efficient treatment which I think are really important for patients.

There are so many flaws in the target system tho.
It needs looking at again imho.
I agree it is totally unnaceptable for folk to wait years fro treatments, and it should never go back to that.

specially "hop" replacements...they sound awful!!

I think there should be targets, but I do disagree with the way that targets have been set for the 'star' cancer patients, and not necessarily those who need to start treatment the fastest. So for instance there is a 2 week target for suspected breast cancer patients, but not for head and neck cancer patients (who do very badly, have no specialist nurses, support centres etc), who actually need to start a lot faster than breast cancer patients.

hop hip - but seriously waiting for a cancer diagnosis is really hard and things have got much better in recent years.

I agree what has been achieved in breast cancer should be available for all cancer patents especially the less common ones and that is what I thought the grantee was for.

Also, the treatment is done and dusted within 6 weeks for eye cancers, ct scans of the liver are also completed within those 6 weeks, but you may have to wait upwards of 18 weeks for the results of that scan...but then the cancer could be in your liver.....giving you an expected life span of 3-6 months....you have had to wait nearly 5 of those months to hear if your cancer has spread.

All in all, they ahve achieved the targets..and thrown you out in the cold, with a possible terminal cancer.No idea if it has spread or not.

whats that all about?

In my recent family experience liver scan results have been given in days not weeks. I think access to the cancer specialist is so important which key for early diagnosis. GPs don't see many cancers in any one year so they need to be quick off the mark.

Trouble is, limited resources - and with unrealistic targets for things that could be extended, those that aren't in target slip.

Theres a huge lack of radiologists in this country (big expansion in what they do in the last 15 years, MRI and CT take a lot longer to look at than x rays did), and there hasn't been funding for more of them as they aren't patient facing enough for people to demand them.

I know a lot of oncologists, and believe me, nothing griees them more than not being able to look after thei patients properly

Try a 12 month + misdiagnosis along with yr head and neck delay, Cmot

actually that made them refer surprisingly quickly

{sad} misdiagnosis must be one of the hardest things to deal with

I doubt it would have made a huge difference anyway, tbh - but it highlighted for us the fact that GPs don't always take the precautions they ought to.

As I understand it the Conservatives have said they will scrap all Labour patient guarantees which includes the two week one to see a specialist on referral from your GP cancer. This would be really backward for patients.

Really? That's rubbish, how can they stand there and ask us to vote for THAT?

Shiny I'm really pleased about your mum

2nd the for your mum Shiny and well done to her GP too