15/7/2024
DAILY MAIL: Numbers of NHS cancer patients facing waits of more than 100 days to start treatment has surged since the pandemic... with over 60s among the most likely to be hit by delays
The near tripling of three-month cancer treatment delays is nothing short of a tragedy. Every four weeks of delay in cancer treatment can increase the risk of death by 10 per cent. These statistics represent people and are further evidence of the lethal legacy that Labour faces on cancer. Disparities based on age and location are being exacerbated by the fact we do not have a dedicated national cancer plan in this country.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Unless plans are urgently put in place to tackle this rise, the NHS 'won't be prepared to cope', researchers warned.
11/7/2024
The Guardian: The experts: oncologists on the simple, doable, everyday things they do to try to prevent cancer
Cancer affects one in two people in their lifetime. Everybody knows somebody who has been touched by cancer. Sometimes, we fear it too much and think if we don’t talk about it, it won’t happen to us. We need to be much more open about it in our society.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
How do oncologists live their lives based on what they know? Doctors share the secrets of living healthily and the risks worth taking – or not.
10/7/2024
BBC Radio: Why are more cancer patients here waiting longer for treatment than anywhere else in the UK?
This has to be a number one priority. All health backlogs are bad, but this is the most deadly, and the most urgent. So if the administration can focus on this as a national priority, get this right, the amount of good that will do , it will save lives.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price's segment runs from 20:34-25:42
8/7/2024
Daily Mail: Cancers caused by smoking hit record high, with 160 people diagnosed every day - despite fall in smoking rates
Cancer is a complex disease. But the starting point to tackling our poor survival outcomes is simple: get a plan.
Reverse the decision made by the last Government to scrap the national cancer control plan. All the international evidence shows that countries with national cancer plans have better survival. And make sure the plan is properly resourced and ensures we treat on time as well as diagnose early.
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Cancer specialists are calling for system-wide reform to cut cancer care inequality and drive up earlier diagnosis and timely treatment, they put forward several policy recommendations, including expanding national audits of care.
7/7/2024
Daily Express: 10 point common sense plan Labour must follow after winning huge majority
There is an incredible opportunity to really help cancer patients and save more lives for a modest cost. New high tech radiotherapy treatments cost very little over their life and offer one of the best cure rates. They can reduce hospital visits from 20 or more to just one or two, thereby slashing waiting times.
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The Daily Express launches its own manifesto of ten pledges of the issues that matter most to readers, including cancer care.
8/7/2024
the guardian: NHS urged to prioritise cancer care basics over tech and AI ‘magic bullets
We need to ensure timely treatment as well as quick diagnosis. If you boost diagnosis but don’t treat people on time, the newly diagnosed patients just end up stuck on long waiting lists. Unless the NHS focuses on tackling these challenges, thousands of patients may die prematurely.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
In a paper published in the journal Lancet Oncology, nine leading cancer doctors and academics say the NHS is at a tipping point in cancer care.
17/6/2024
Daily Mail: Grim toll of 'missed' cancers: 100,000 patients diagnosed with the disease at a late stage in A&E when a cure is unlikely, shocking new five year figures suggest
Obviously, I welcome efforts to boost screening and diagnosis. However, boosting diagnosis on its own isn't enough if we then simply add the patients to an already far too long waiting list for treatment.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
In an exclusive for the Daily Mail, Professor Pat Price and the Catch Up withCancer Campaign were mentioned as expert opinions in light of the shocking figuresthat reveal late diagnosis for cancer patients.
14/6/2024
The Guardian: Tory party CEO is director at cancer care firm benefiting from NHS waiting lists
A timely reminder that the cancer crisis continues and dangerous delays have been normalised.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
NHS data from March shows only two-thirds of cancer patients in England received their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral.
13/6/2024
Independent: ‘Dangerous delays’ in cancer care ‘have been normalised’, experts warn
Cancer waiting times must be a national priority for the next government.I appeal to all our leaders to commit to a dedicated cancer plan and a boost to cancer treatment. And that must include a proper boost to radiotherapy cancer treatments, technology and the cancer workforce.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
New data showed a rise in the proportion of patients facing longer waits to have cancer ruled out or diagnosed, or start treatment for the disease.
12/6/2024
Daily Mail: Over 380,000 cancer patients have faced 'routine' delays in starting treatment since 2015
These cancer stats tell a deadly story of delays to crucial cancer patient care. Cancer patients not getting their treatment on time is a disaster that cannot be allowed to continue in the next parliament. Anything less than this and we will never get out of the cancer crisis.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price urges whoever forms the new government to take radical action to address the cancer crisis.
12/6/2024
The Guardian: Deadly cancer treatment delays now ‘routine’ in NHS, say damning reports
Cancer patients not getting their treatment on time is a disaster.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Studies sound alarm at state of cancer care with hundreds of thousands waiting months to start essential treatment.
10/6/2024
The Daily express: Liberal Democrats' bombshell plot to overturn Brexit and get UK back to single market
We are pleased to see the pledge to replace ageing radiotherapy cancer treatment machines and increase their overall number. Better access to radiotherapy is vital for timely cancer treatment. The simple reality is that cancer services in the UK are in crisis, and it will take a focused, concerted effort by the next Government to improve cancer outcomes.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Prof Price responds to Liberal Democrats commitment to boost cancer survival rates.
10/6/2024
express:
Liberal Democrats' bombshell plot to overturn Brexit and get UK back to single market
We are pleased to see the pledge to replace ageing radiotherapy cancer treatment machines and increase their overall number. Better access to radiotherapy is vital for timely cancer treatment. The simple reality is that cancer services in the UK are in crisis, and it will take a focused, concerted effort by the next Government to improve cancer outcomes.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Prof Price responds to Liberal Democrats commitment to boost cancer survival rates.
9/5/2024
The daily express: King Charles and Kate's bravery in cancer fight sparks fresh demand to end UK crisis
What is so heart-breaking and so frustrating is that it doesn’t have to be this way. The Government and NHS can get a grip on cancer. But only if they accept there’s a crisis, get cancer to the top of the agenda, and then change what they’re doing and how they are doing it.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Prof Price makes two demands - that political parties commit to a National Cancer Plan and to more investment, particularly in the radiotherapy sector.
26/4/2024
Oncologist Prof Price talks to Sky News about the world's first personalised mRNA cancer jab for melanoma being tested in British patients
So this really stimulates you to actually fight your own cancer- which is great. So it’s individualized for everybody’s individual cancer; which is a game changer.
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World's first jab to stop skin cancer being tested in UK patients.
11/4/2024
North wales Chronicle: NHS waiting list falls again amid change in counting method
Cancer treatment capacity is beyond breaking point. What makes this frustration intolerable is when ministers and NHS leaders seem to suggest that everything is in hand because we are diagnosing more cancer patients. But what good is a cancer diagnosis if we don’t treat the patients on time? The stark reality is that without a greater priority on treatment, these diagnosed patients just pile up on record waiting lists. If ever there was a time to get a grip on the situation and deliver a cancer plan backed by investment, it is now.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
The proportion of patients facing long waits for treatment remained well below the 85% target.
23/3/2024
AP News: Worldwide support pours in for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after shocking cancer reveal
A cancer diagnosis is always deeply concerning, but the fact that the princess is so young and very much in the prime of her life makes this news all the more upsetting and unsettling.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Support poured in from around the world Saturday for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she revealed in a candid video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following major abdominal surgery.
23/3/2024
BBC INterview: Princess of Wales undergoing cancer treatment
She is amazing. That was such a beautiful interview, she’s done so well. So much she has had to go through, with her family, and everything now, so it’s a positive message, and that sharing it with others, all the people out there, who similarly got problems, they know they are not alone, and hopefully now this will get cancer right at the top of the agenda.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price was interviewed for her expertise as a clinical oncologist. Watch the clip below:
23/3/2024
Sky news: What is preventative chemotherapy? Experts explain treatment and when it's used
The surgery itself will have removed the cancer. Sometimes in some tumours there's a little bit of a concern about whether there's anything that's been left behind or whether there's a risk of it coming back.
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As the Princess of Wales reveals cancer was found during her abdominal surgery in January, experts explain what preventative chemotherapy is, how it works and when it's used.
22/3/2024
Manchester Evening News: World sends best wishes after Kate's cancer diagnosis
She is so brave for speaking about her cancer diagnosis ahead of more difficult treatment. Fear of the unknown can be the worst thing for those who find out they have the disease.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
The Princess of Wales has been praised for her bravery.
22/3/2024
Mirror: Top cancer doctor praises 'amazing' Kate Middleton's brave health announcement
She is amazing. She’s got to go through some more treatment which will be difficult. Once (cancer) is caught early, that’s usually when we can cure it.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Pat Price said that while the treatment ahead will be "difficult", the Princess of Wales is extremely brave for speaking openly about her cancer diagnosis today, which comes after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January.
22/3/2024
Clinical oncologist Pat Price tells Times Radio what the Princess of Wales could expect in her cancer treatment.
She'll be a massive figurehead to people with cancer, to show how you have to dig deep.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Cancer affects young people, it doesn't matter who it is.
22/3/2024
LBC: Consultant oncologist Professor Pat Price explains to LBC what is meant by preventative chemotherapy as the Princess of Wales announces she is undergoing treatment.
This is preventative chemotherapy. When a cancer has been surgically removed and taken away, we sometimes give chemotherapy afterwards, just in case. Just in case there’s any cells that were missed or escaped, and that can take the form of either tablets or injections, usually for a limited amount of time and then stopped.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Consultant oncologist Professor Pat Price explains to LBC what is meant by preventative chemotherapy as the Princess of Wales announces she is undergoing treatment.
22/3/2024
BBC: Kate, Princess of Wales: I am having cancer treatment
As was the case with the King's diagnosis, her doing so will no doubt give many more people that vital prompt to get themselves checked and give others affected by cancer more confidence to speak about their own experience. This announcement is a stark and shocking reminder that cancer is no respecter of age or social status.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price praised the princess for speaking out "so openly and frankly".
22/3/2024
SkYNeWS: Princess of Wales receiving treatment for cancer
Professor Price tells Sky News, cancer patients telling their family and children “can be the worst bit”.
Professor Price discusses preventative treatment with Sky News.
14/3/2024
TalkTV: Cancer Cases – Death rates fall due to screening, treatment and lifestyles.
This is not okay, this should be top of the government priority. And the thing is, they've been told what they need to do. It’s not as though the experts haven’t made suggestions about what could be done: workforce, equipment, all these sorts of things, but it just doesn't seem to be anybody’s problem.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price discusses the cancer crisis in an interview with Vanessa Feltz.Segment begins at 40:42
14/3/2024
Express & Star: NHS waiting lists fall, although number of patients facing longest wait climbs
Professor Price described the situation as “a disaster for cancer patients” and called for “a radical new cancer plan and a clear implementation plan to improve waiting times and cancer survival”.
Cancer waiting times remain well below target, the data shows, with charities calling for a long-term cancer strategy.
14/3/2024
Daily Mail: NHS waiting lists down despite record strike action but experts condemn surge in 'degrading' 12-hour A&E waits
I am once again urgently appealing to Ministers and NHS officials to take urgent action. By any metric available we see cancer treatment delays remaining at near-record level. We desperately need a radical new cancer plan and a clear implementation plan to improve waiting times and cancer survival.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
In January 2024, over 3,000 cancer patients waited over 3 months to start treatment. This adds to the 220,000 cancer patients already waiting too long over the last three years.
11/3/2024
BBC: Cancer patients 'at risk' due to treatment delays, doctors say
Cancer patients are being completely let down. We are a modern country, we have got treatments that can cure people and we are just not treating people on time. Cancer is increasing by 2% a year - if we are not coping now, how on earth are we going to cope in the future?
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Cancer patients are "being let down" and some are at risk of dying because they are not being treated on time, senior doctors have warned.
6/2/2024
Football legend demands better radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients
It’s time to realise the immense potential of radiotherapy by harnessing proven technical advances and innovation to improve patient outcomes. Let us prioritise this cost-effective and curative treatment, where a modest investment could yield a huge leap in progress. If we do this, the world will watch, and we will all be empowered.
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England and Manchester United hero Bryan Robson urges Radiotherapy cancer plan.
6/2/2024
'Concerned' Joe Biden to call King Charles as messages of support pour in from around the world
In this worrying time, our hearts go out to the King and his family. The outpouring of well-wishes from millions of people reflects the collective concern we all share. The King's openness about his battle with cancer is a powerful reminder that one in two of us may face cancer at some point in our lives.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Well wishes for the King have poured in from across the globe after Buckingham Palace announced he was diagnosed with a form of cancer. The King was also praised for making his diagnosis public.
6/2/2024
ITVX: What details have Buckingham Palace shared about the King's cancer diagnosis?
Professor Price was interviewed for her expertise as a clinical oncologist to discuss the King's cancer diagnosis.
Today's announcement was a major departure from how royal health stories have typically been handled.
31/1/2024
Daily Mail: The line of cancer patients waiting more than 60 days for treatment would stretch from London to Cardiff, campaigners say as they march on Parliament
Let this be the end of accepting the unacceptable when it comes to cancer.We're calling on all (political) parties to acknowledge the cancer crisis and commit to delivering a plan to tackle it.
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Led by #CatchUpWithCancer, patients, charity activists and oncologists marched on Parliament to call for urgent action to tackle the cancer crisis.
5/12/2023
Daily Mail: Covid's collateral cancer timebomb: Shock NHS figures show up to 70,000 patients have been 'missed' since start of pandemic
The harsh truth is that cancer services that were already struggling pre-pandemic have failed to recover.
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Experts warn NHS cancer services have failed to recover properly from the impact of Covid-19, which is hampering diagnosis rates.
16/11/2023
X/Itv news INTERVIEW: PROF PRICE INTERVIEW CLIP
We're missing targets yet again.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Professor Price on ITV News - reacting to new NHS cervical cancer target.
15/11/2023
Paper cites research showing dedicated policies are associated with superior survival outcomes. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA
The Guardian: UK cancer care in crisis and patients will die due to lack of strategy, experts warn
The dangerous reality is that cancer care in this country is fast becoming a monumental crisis and there appears to be no realistic plan. A cancer plan is not just a strategy, it is a lifeline for the one in two of us that will get cancer.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Report by leading cancer experts criticises ministers for scrapping dedicated plan to tackle disease.
14/11/2023
DAILY MAIL: Fight against cancer must undergo a 'fundamental reset', leading doctors warn as they unveil 10-point plan to improve care in the UK
We need to address the cancer workforce crisis, deliver treatments on time and stop the situation that sees us lagging behind on cancer technologies in key areas, like radiotherapy.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Experts said 'a fundamental reset is required' to reverse the cancer crisis.
14/11/2023
Top cancer doctors call for UK-wide improvements in care
A cancer plan is not just a strategy, it is a lifeline for the one in two of us that will get cancer.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
A policy review has suggested a 10-point plan to improve current standards.
9/11/2023
X/Itv news INTERVIEW: PROF PRICE INTERVIEW CLIP
Thousands of people are dying unnecessarily.
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Professor Price on ITVTonight - speaking up for the almost 4 in 10 patients waiting too long for cancer treatment.
12/10/2023
Daily Mail: NHS waiting list shoots to ANOTHER record high with 7.75 million patients stuck in backlog amid fears worse is yet to come with winter looming
Surely now, when we are so consistently at or near record poor waiting times, this should be a clarion call for the Government to take decisive action and expand treatment capacity in areas like radiotherapy. With every four-week delay, the risk of death can climb by 10 per cent, further contributing to the devastating loss of 2 million life years to cancer each year.
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7.75million patients in England were stuck in the NHS backlog by August. This includes nearly 400,000 who have been waiting for more than one year.
12/10/2023
Daily Mail: Cancer's grim chokehold on Britain: Sobering charts show how disease is robbing sufferers of up to 25 YEARS - with cases of melanoma, breast and prostate having soared since the 90s
Measuring the burden of cancer and how it really affects us individually and as a society should be the wake up call to put cancer right back at the top of the Government and Treasury's agenda. For every four week delay in treatment there can be a 10 per cent increase in risk of death. We need action to back these solutions, with investment in kit and people, to reduce the staggering number of life years lost to this devastating disease.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Cancer now robs Brits of 14 years of life on average, according to an analysis branded a 'wake up call'.
15/9/2023
Oxford Mail: Oxford University Hospitals Trust: treatment waiting times
Today’s figures reveal that nearly 40 per cent of cancer patients are missing their life-saving cancer treatment: this is over double the Government’s own target.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Tens of thousands of patients were waiting for routine treatment at Oxford hospitals in July, figures show.
15/9/2023
ITVX: NHS waiting lists hit new record high of 7.7 million
We are still massively short in hitting the Government’s target of no more than 85% of cancer patients waiting more than 62 days between urgent GP referral and their first treatment.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
The NHS waiting list in England has hit a new record high, with 7.7 million people, around one in seven, waiting for treatment, data shows. New figures from NHS England show a rise in the overall list, plus more people facing long waits of a year or more compared to the previous month.
14/9/2023
Mirror: NHS waiting lists hit record high with treatments delayed for YEAR - check your hospital
We are still massively short in hitting the Government's target of no more than 85% of cancer patients waiting more than 62 days between urgent GP referral and their first treatment. Today's figures reveal that nearly 40% of cancer patients are missing their life-saving cancer treatment: this is over double the Government's own target. This is a tragedy that cannot continue.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
In England, around one in seven patients - a total of 7.68 million - are waiting for treatment. The latest figure is the highest number since NHS England records began in 2007.
17/8/2023
Government confirms MOST cancer targets will be scrapped by autumn
The Faster Diagnosis Standard is set at only 75%. This needs to be much higher, at around 95%, if we are to get patients through the cancer pathway on time.
While great for reassuring patients without cancer, this may not help patients with cancer start their treatment in time.
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NHS England cancer targets are to be streamlined, moving from 10 performance standards to three from October.
17/8/2023
Government confirms two-thirds of cancer targets will be scrapped by autumn
The only measure that will ‘move the dial’ is the development and implementation of a radical new plan backed up with smart investment in people and kit.
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It is hoped that the new targets will help diagnose and treat cancer faster.
15/8/2023
New system for radiotherapy is in 'chaos' and is ultimately putting lives at risk
Our analysis shows that chaos and bureaucracy are strangling one of our most important weapons in the fight against record cancer waiting times.
It beggars belief that over two-thirds of local health bodies have no one in charge of radiotherapy, the second most curative cancer treatment, and most cost-effective backlog-busting solution we have.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Research by #CatchUpWithCancer campaign and Radiotherapy UK found some 70 percent of Integrated Care Boards say no one in charge of vital radiotherapy treatments.
14/8/2023
NHS to scrap two-thirds of cancer targets in bid to speed up diagnosis and save lives
The clear and simple truth is that we are not investing enough in cancer treatment capacity.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
The NHS is changing a key cancer target in an effort to give patients faster diagnoses and cut the number of people dying from the disease.
14/8/2023
An announcement on changes to cancer targets in England is expected in the coming days, reports suggest (PA) (PA Wire)
Independent: Potential cancer targets change ‘ominous and deeply worrying’, charity says
The clear and simple truth is that we are not investing enough in cancer treatment capacity and getting the whole cancer pathway working.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
Reports suggest plans to scrap two-thirds of cancer targets could be announced within days.
14/8/2023
X/BBC INTERVIEW: PROF PRICE INTERVIEW CLIP ON BBC
Simply changing targets won't cure patients, we need to treat them faster and quicker.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
@prof_price on @BBCBreakfast reacting to suspected overhaul of NHS waiting times. We urgently need to increase treatment capacity to tackle our cancer crisis and #CatchUpWithCancer.
14/8/2023
X/C4 NEWS: C4 NEWS CLIP INTERVIEW WITH PROF PRICE
We've normalised failure. We seem to accept that patients aren't being treated on time.
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Get in touch if you are a cancer patient frustrated by underfunded cancer services & long wait times.
14/8/2023
BBC Getty Images: The number of NHS cancer waiting time targets are expected to be reduced in England, in a move the health service says aims to catch cancers earlier.
BBC NEWS: MANY CANCER WAITING TIME TARGETS SET TO BE DROPPED IN ENGLAND
NHS bosses want to cut the number of targets, most of which have been routinely missed in recent years, from nine to three.
They say the plan is backed by leading cancer experts and will simplify the "outdated" standards.
But the head of the Radiotherapy UK charity said she is "deeply worried"...
14/8/2023
Patients who have been urgently referred should have cancer ruled out or receive diagnosis within 28 days under new rules. Photograph: Age Fotostock/Alamy
THE GUARDIAN: KEIR STARMER ACCUSES TORIES OF 'MOVING GOALPOSTS' ON NHS CANCER CARE
Keir Starmer has accused the government of "moving the goalposts" as the number of NHS cancer waiting time targets is expected to be reduced.
The government has been consulting on the proposed measures to streamline NHS cancer care, which would replace the nine existing cancer targets with just three. The target of all patients seeing a specialist within two weeks of an urgent referral for cancer tests by the GP is expected to be scrapped....
14/8/2023
FINANCIAL TIMES: MINISTERS WARNED AGAINST 'FIDDLING AROUND' WITH NHS CANCER TARGETS
UK ministers and NHS leaders have been warned against proposals to "fiddle around with targets" for cancer care, as the government said changes were being "driven by" senior clinicians.
The warning came as the health department promised 900 new NHS beds in the coming months, and revealed which hospitals would receive a share of £250mn of previously announced funding for urgent and emergency care...
14/8/2023
ITV NEWS: HEALTH SECRETARY EXPECTED TO CONFIRM SCRAPPING OF TWO-THIRDS OF CANCER TARGETS
The clear and simple truth is that we are not investing enough in cancer treatment capacity and getting the whole cancer pathway working.
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The new plans, known as the Faster Diagnosis Standard, propose that patients in England who have been urgently referred should have cancer ruled out or receive a diagnosis within 28 days.
10/8/2023
THE IRISH NEWS: More funding for cancer needed to overcome ‘deadly delays'
These figures confirm that cancer treatment performance remains around record low levels and that deadly delays remain baked into cancer treatment. The Government need to break this drumbeat of monthly and quarterly failure and take decisive action to boost treatment capacity.
PROFESSOR PAT PRICE
10/8/2023
DAILY MAIL: Busiest summer EVER for crippled NHS as strike carnage sends waiting list to all-time high of 7.6MILLION
These figures confirm that cancer treatment performance remains around record low levels and that deadly delays remain baked into cancer treatment with over four in 10 cancer patients waiting far too long.
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10/8/2023
BBC News: 62 day cancer treatment waiting times remain
Every 4 week delay starting treatment can increase risk of death by 10%.