Doctors have raised alarm over significant delays in cancer treatment, warning that patients are facing life-threatening risks due to the backlog.
The dire situation has been highlighted by oncologist Professor Pat Price, who heads the charity Radiotherapy UK, labeling cancer care in the UK as being in a state of crisis.
Sharing her harrowing experience, a former nurse described the agonizing five-month wait for her cancer treatment to commence as “horrific.”
The delay in providing timely care has left many patients vulnerable and unsupported.
Responding to the mounting concerns, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson emphasized that addressing waiting lists is among the government’s top priorities.
However, recent data analysis by BBC News revealed that cancer waiting times in England for 2023 hit a record low.
In December, only 65.9% of cancer patients in England began their treatment on time, within 62 days of an urgent referral, missing the 85% target last met in 2015.
