A Bedford borough councillor said she “can’t imagine” what it would be like to have cancer treatment delayed.
Monday’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (November 4) was told patients receiving a diagnosis within the first 28 days of their cancer pathway were performing “really quite well”.
But Helen Watt, cancer programme manager at Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care Board (ICB) said there was a challenge with treatment delivery.
“We’ve got a programme of work looking at the quality of pathways and accessing any potential issues on the pathway and where we can support with additional diagnostics, etc.”
The Cancer Research UK website states the 31 day standard states that people with cancer should begin their treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat their cancer.
The 62 day standard states that people with cancer should begin treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral.
Councillor Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden) said: “So people could wait longer than 62 days to commence treatment.
“But then the outcome is diminishing as they wait.”
Ms Watt said: “People will be waiting longer than 62 days on occasion.
“But in order to make sure that people aren’t negatively impacted and don’t have poorer outcomes there is a quality of pathway process that’s completed.
“Any patient that goes over 62 days has a rigorous harm review which is all managed by the trust and reported into the ICB.
“We haven’t identified any patients where they’ve had any clinical harm as a result of that pathway.”
Councillor Gribble asked: “So, no one who has waited longer than 62 days has suffered any ill effects?”
Ms Watt said: “I think that’s quite difficult for me to say an absolute no, because, obviously, we know patient experience might have been impacted.
“Their mental health might have suffered as a result.
“But in terms of clinical harm, we haven’t been able to evidence that anyone has had a tumour diagnosed at a much later stage than they would have done if there is any absolute clinical harm to those patients.”
Councillor Gribble said: “I can’t even start to think of how a patient who is waiting that long before treatment to start would feel.
“It must be horrendous.”
Support available
Ms Watt said there is support available to the NHS trusts, such as additional access to diagnostics.
“Whatever we can do to support delivery of those pathways [to be] quicker, we are working on,” she said.
The report to the Committee said one in two people will get cancer in their lifetime.
Approximately 4,500 people are diagnosed with cancer across Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes (BLMK) each year, and approximately 40 per cent of those diagnoses will lead to death.
Early detection is key in the fight against cancer. Make sure to schedule regular screenings and listen to your body – taking action now could save your life.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
