Fewer emergency cancer patients in Northumberland

Cancer Research UK said the overall drop in patients diagnosed with cancer through emergency routes is positive, but added too many people affected by cancer are waiting too long to receive a diagnosis and begin vital treatment.

An emergency presentation of cancer is when a diagnosis is given within 30 days of a hospital admission and does not include more managed routes, such as cancer screening or through a GP.

NHS data shows 645 cancer patients were first seen as inpatients in the former NHS Northumberland CCG from July to September last year. Of them, 89 – or 13.8% – were emergency presentations.

This was down from 19% during the same period in 2021 and a fall from 17.7% before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.

Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK's executive director of policy and information, said: "Despite the tireless work of NHS staff, too many people affected by cancer are waiting too long to receive a diagnosis and begin vital treatment regardless of the route they enter the system. We urge the Government to show political leadership on cancer."

Across England, 13,200 of the 71,600 presentations were emergencies.

An NHS spokesperson said: “While the incidence rate has risen over time due to an ageing population, the hard work of NHS staff means the health service is now diagnosing a higher proportion of cancers at an early stage – when they’re usually easier to treat – than ever before, potentially saving thousands of lives."