The UK is at a critical juncture in cancer care, with experts warning that the country is lagging behind others that have established and consistently implemented cancer plans. In a recent commentary published in The Lancet Oncology, leading cancer specialists argue that the absence of a dedicated cancer strategy in the UK could lead to unnecessary deaths and the erosion of the nation’s global reputation in cancer research.
Mark Lawler, the lead author of the commentary and chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “We’re at a critical moment for cancer care in the UK. It is utterly incomprehensible that a country like ours does not have a dedicated cancer plan. The current government may have inherited this problem from the last one, but it’s like being handed a ticking time bomb,” said Lawler.
According to the experts, countries such as Denmark, France, and Norway have shown better cancer survival rates by maintaining consistent and well-implemented cancer policies. The lack of a similar approach in the UK has contributed to the nation “falling far behind other nations worldwide in relation to consistency of cancer policy,” the group of doctors noted.
The commentary piece also highlighted troubling statistics from NHS England, revealing that in June, only 67.4% of patients began treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, well below the target of 85%. Although this was an improvement from May, it still means that more than one in three patients faced delays that could increase their risk of dying from cancer.
“We’re at the bottom of the cancer league tables, and delays to cancer care remain alarmingly high,” said Professor Pat Price, co-author of the commentary and co-founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign. “Whatever action [the government] takes, a new cancer plan to get us out of this mess must be at the top of the agenda.”
The Department of Health and Social Care responded to the concerns, affirming its commitment to improving cancer care. A spokesperson said, “As part of our mission to get the NHS back on its feet, we will improve cancer survival rates by hitting all cancer waiting time targets within five years, and double the number of MRI and CT scanners so no patient waits longer than they should.” The government has also commissioned Lord Darzi to assess the state of the NHS, with his findings set to inform a 10-year plan aimed at radically reforming the health service.
As the UK faces increasing pressure to address these issues, experts stress that immediate action is needed to prevent the nation from losing its standing in the global fight against cancer.
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