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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Response not found
- C J Squire (31 March 2000)
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Treatment should be the priority
- Jean Mossman, Karol Sikora (31 March 2000)
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Strategy to reduce waiting times
- Himanshu Sharma (12 April 2000)
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C J Squire, Clinical audit adviser Royal College of Radiologists
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The response link to this paper does not find the responses to its earlier electronic publication. I know there was at least one (from Karol Sikora). Now I cannot find my way to it without downloading 14 days' worth of responses, which makes my system hang or crash. Please link the responses. As the token 'clinical audit professional' on the Steering Group for this audit, I'm very glad it has seen the light of day at last. It would be interesting to know how, if at all, the results were fed back to the participating Trusts and what steps they are being advised to take to improve their performance in the light of the results.Audit that does not lead to change where it is needed is not audit. |
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Jean Mossman, Chief Executive/Global Vice President, Clinical Research (Oncology) CancerBACUP/Pharmacia and Upjohn, Karol Sikora
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Sir, The government has acknowledged that cancer care in Britain needs substantial improvement. It has focussed on removing delays in access to cancer specialists, and suggests that that this will improve outcomes. This study reports on data collected from 98% of Trusts in England. Yet the total number of patients detailed is less than half the number expected to present with cancer in a single month. Furthermore, the data suggests that the incidence of breast cancer is twice that of lung cancer. We are concerned that this is a selected sample and applying any conclusions widely is dangerous. The paper demonstrates but does not comment on the far more significant delay in the time to first definitive treatment. Solving this will require a far more radical overhaul of the cancer patient's journey through investigation and treatment. Serious resources are clearly needed to bring our cancer services up to the standards of our European neighbours. We hope that the National Cancer Director puts appropriate emphasis on getting patients treatment - knowing you have cancer will not cure you. |
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Himanshu Sharma, Senior House Officer in Accident and Emergency West Cumberland Hospital Whitehaven Cumbria
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In spite of pledging repeatedly by the government to end waiting time for cancer patients,the reality is still very far from practicality.Being the second most common causative factor in terms of mortality,top ten malignancies are still not been handled temporally and prioritised in direct proportion to referral from General Practitioners in UK.We know that the Secondary prevention plays the major role in management of cancer patients.Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can make the real difference in cancer statistics,as what we see in USA Strategy for managing malignancies. To abolish the long waiting list of cancer patients in UK,I would like to propose few of the suggestions.Usually, any General Surgeon or Oncosurgeon operates for 1-1 1/2 days in theatre in a weekm time.There is need to revise radically Surgeon's operating hours to 3-3 1/2 days/week.In such case, we should rely on higher surgical trainees for running outpatient sessions more and more.Even there is no harm in using emergency hours with operations performed by Specialist Registrars for Ca-in-situ stage operations. If every suspected case of cancer would have urgent referral from GP and Investigation performed on the same day of outpatient appointment to confirm the diagnosis,this will hasten the feasibility and availability of definitive treatment to cancer patients and help in breaking the vicious circle of late presentation due to excess waiting with more psychological morbidity. |
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