Patients to receive cancer test results within ten days under new NHS plans

NHS England have taken steps to ensure the time taken to arrange, conduct and analyse the likes of patients’ blood checks and MRI scans is reduced, allowing health practitioners to start treatment sooner.

The NHS have opened 105 community diagnostic centres in convenient locations nationwide in a bid to increase capacity, and increase the number of patients who receive a cancer diagnosis or have the disease ruled out within the 28-day target.

Fewer than one in ten trusts currently turn around cancer test results within ten days of a referral, and according to the latest official figures, only 75 per cent of patients nationally had cancer diagnosed or ruled-out within 28 days in February.

Jane Lyons, chief executive of Cancer 52, which represents over 100 patient support groups, said “For the vast majority of patients whose tests show they don’t have cancer, ending what is a spell of extreme anxiety sooner will be a great relief, and for the roughly seven in 100 who are diagnosed with cancer, moving on from that period of uncertainty to being able to discuss next steps with doctors as quickly as possible is crucial.

“When we know record levels of people are being sent by their GPs for cancer tests, it’s good to see the NHS making clear these patients need to be prioritised.”

Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England’s national cancer director, said “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and while we’re already diagnosing a higher proportion of cancers at an earlier stage than ever before – we want to ensure we’re making the absolute most of the diagnostic capacity in our community centres and hospitals.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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