Concerns raised over hospital trust's missed cancer targets

The stark figures were released by Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Trust NHS Foundation Trust as part of its annual quality report.

The data showed that just 53.1% of the 172 patients in the category were seen within the target of 62 days, against a national target of 85%.

The figure represented a fall on the previous year’s figure of 59.7%, and has led to warnings that the delays could be fatal.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of Northumberland County Council’s health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee, Coun Georgina Hill criticised the trust.

She said: “Almost half of patients are having to wait longer than 62 days after a GP surgery says ‘this is important, we need treatment early’.

“We all know the urgency and importance of getting early treatment in cancer, so this is risking lives. People will die if they’re not being seen quick enough.

“I don’t like to overstate things, and I don’t think I’m overstating things by saying it is a crisis. What I would really like to know is what the plan is to up the game, because the performance against national targets is very very poor.”

Officials at the meeting said there had been “specific challenges” with the backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic but that staff were “working hard” and the issue was a “priority” for the trust.

A report presented to councillors explained that “significant pressures” had “impacted negatively” on compliance, including the closure of the Rutherford Centre, which had an impact on the pathway for breast cancer. The retirement of a consultant in dermatology also caused issues and “protracted” waiting times for appointments.

Colorectal patients were delayed to colonoscopy and CT colonography due to “capacity issues”. Furthermore, diagnostic pressures on radiology and endoscopy remained the “biggest challenge” with demand “exceeding capacity”.

The trust had also identified a number of actions to improve performance. These included new appointments of clinical staff in a number of roles to increase capacity as well as additional capacity in radiology thanks to a mobile CT scanner.