Londoners face a postcode lottery for cancer treatment, analysis reveals, as experts warn that delays will worsen without urgent action to fix the NHS.
Patients living in certain regions of the capital are much more likely to face treatment delays than others depending on their type of cancer, analysis of NHS England data by the Standard reveals.
Some 85 per cent of patients should start their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer, according to NHS targets.
But figures published by NHS England show that the target is not being met for several cancers in different regions in the capital.
Just over half (53 per cent) of patients with breast cancer living in the North Central London area – which covers Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington - were treated within 62 days in July, according to the data.
In North West London the figure rises to 79 per cent, reflecting a huge gap in access to cancer services between different regions.
For head and neck cancers, patients living in South East London faced the longest waits, with just 42 per cent of patients were treated within a two-month period. This compares to 91 per cent in North Central London and 75 per cent in South West.
No regions in London met the 85 per cent NHS target for treatment of gynaecological cancers, with just 38 per cent of patients in South East London treated within 62 days.
However, the NHS target for skin cancer treatment was met in every region – with 94 per cent of patients in South West London treated within 62 days.
A study published by the British Medical Journal in 2020 found that a four-week delay to surgery could increase the risk of dying by cancer by up to 8 per cent.
Cancer Research UK on Friday warned that more than 300,000 cancer patients could face treatment delays over the next five years unless the Government drives up NHS performance.
Chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: “Whilst it’s reassuring that more patients are being referred for cancer checks, our health service does not have the required resources to cope with record numbers of people being diagnosed with cancer. Unless action is taken, things could be even worse in five years’ time.”
She said that the health service would need to see “long-term planning that provides the NHS with the equipment and staff it needs”.
Last week a report by independent peer Lord Darzi found that the nation’s health had declined over the past 15 years and that significant reform would be required to return the NHS to peak performance.
The report concluded that patients faced “widespread problems” in accessing services across the country while funding has been disproportionately focused on hospitals and not other areas of the NHS.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Lord Darzi’s independent investigation found that cancer is more likely to be a death sentence for NHS patients than patients in other countries.
“This is completely unacceptable and why we are taking action to turn the NHS around, so cancer patients are diagnosed and treated on time.
“As part of our 10-year plan to radically reform our broken NHS, we will fight cancer on all fronts – through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research – to give people the care they need.”
An NHS spokesman said: “Thanks to the huge efforts of staff, the latest data shows that the NHS is checking more people than ever before for cancer with almost 290,000 referrals in just one month, more people than ever before are getting the all-clear or a definitive diagnosis within the four-week standard and more than nine in 10 people started their treatment within a month in July.”
