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MORE lives could be ended prematurely in England because of later diagnosis of cancer caused by staff shortages, MPs warn.
A report published today by the Commons health and social care committee says that despite NHS efforts to protect cancer services during the pandemic, 36,000 fewer people began cancer treatment in England last year compared with previous years.
And without improved workforce planning, “more than 340,000 people between 2019 and 2028 will be missing out on an early cancer diagnosis.”
Due to pressures on GPs, family doctors may not spot as many potential cancer cases and, though urgent cancer referrals have begun to recover, key waiting time targets are being missed, which risk greater numbers of late diagnoses.
The committee is calling on the government and NHS to act to address the gaps in the cancer workforce.
Three million fewer people in the UK were invited for cancer screening between March and September 2020, while between March 2020 and March 2021, 326,000 fewer people in England received an urgent referral for suspected cancer and 4.6 million fewer key diagnostic tests were carried out.
