Medics are warning of “the biggest cancer catastrophe ever to hit the NHS” after a report by the report by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that from the start of the pandemic “millions of people have avoided seeking, or been unable to obtain, healthcare.”
“By June 2021, NHS cancer services activity had recovered to pre-pandemic levels. However, in September 2021 only 68% of patients requiring treatment within 62 days of urgent referral by their GP were receiving that treatment on time,” the NAO said.
In total, between 240,000 and 740,000 urgent referrals for suspected cancer cases were missed.
The report also warned that with the flood of missing referrals returning to place a further burden on the system, the waiting list could grow to 12 million by March 2025.
(...) Summit News
