Plunge in cancer referrals as Covid disruption hits NHS

New data revealing a significant drop in urgent referrals for suspected cancers in England and a plummeting quality of life among patients awaiting knee and hip surgery in the UK has shown the Covid pandemic has cast a wide shadow over the nation’s health.

The crisis has caused a significant disruption to healthcare services over the last twelve months. In November last year, NHS England announced that the number of people waiting for longer than twelve months for surgery had reached its highest level since 2008, while patients have reported that their planned procedures, from hip replacements to cancer surgery, have been repeatedly postponed.

Covid has also been linked to a fall in CT and MRI scans and breast screening programmes were also paused. Experts have warned the pandemic may also have resulted in people avoiding hospitals and GPs, thereby possibly missing out on crucial care.

New analysis by Cancer Research UK of NHS England data has found that the number of people urgently referred for suspected lung cancer dropped by 34 per cent between March 2020 and January 2021, compared with the same time period the previous year, which they say equates to around 20,3000 fewer people being urgently referred.

Referral declines were also revealed for other suspected cancers, including gynaecological and urological cancer, with around 51,000 fewer patients urgently referred for the former (a 25 per cent drop) and 19,800 fewer patients for the latter (a 10 per cent drop) compared with the previous year.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the BMA’s GP’s committee, called for greater support for the NHS, adding “Despite the best efforts of GPs and indeed all NHS staff working throughout the pandemic, the exceptional demands of Covid-19 have caused severe disruption to services, meaning a growing number of patients are now having to wait longer for vital treatment, such as cancer care or surgery.

“GPs have been very clear that patients who are concerned they may have cancer symptoms or any other serious health concerns should absolutely come forward to see their GP immediately.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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