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Following a cancer diagnosis, starting treatment quickly can save patients from feeling additional, unnecessary stress and anxiety. Yet, we know that many cancer patients in the UK are being forced to wait an unacceptably long time.
Waiting times, an issue of inequality
NHS England has a target that at least 85 per cent of patients should start their first treatment for cancer within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer. Shockingly, this target has not been met since December 2015 and performance continues to deteriorate.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK has found that certain characteristics indicate the likelihood of a patient waiting longer for treatment, with longer waits more likely for people living in the most deprived areas. The link between deprivation and increased waiting times is especially significant for certain types of cancer.
The new government has committed to getting “a grip on the record waiting list” within the NHS. This is an important ambition. But how do we reduce waiting times and how are pharmaceutical companies, like MSD, helping?
Starting the clock
The NHS emphasis on improving early diagnosis has started to pay dividends.
For example, the targeted lung health check scheme in England has led to 76 per cent of lung cancers, in those tested, caught at an earlier stage. This is crucial because it has one of the lowest survival rates, largely due to – historically – it being diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is less likely to be effective.
But early diagnosis is the first step.
Time to treatment
Cancer Research UK has found that the most common reasons that patients who have been waiting for treatment have their first treatment delayed is shortages of beds or chairs, or low staff capacity.
A survey, by the Royal College of Radiologists, of clinical radiology directors found that 97 per cent believe workforce shortages cause delays. Radiology departments are not receiving enough funding to meet treatment demand. Without additional resources, clinicians must make difficult choices, rationing care.
Innovations in cancer treatment mean genomic and biomarker testing is often required to determine the best course of treatment. Yet, depending on the cancer type and test required, there is variation on turnaround times. What is causing this variation?
The reality is the NHS currently does not have adequate capacity to turn around testing and initiate treatment in a timely manner for all patients. It is critical that the NHS finds a way to rapidly increase its capacity.
Closing the data gap
Data is essential to identifying blockages in the pathway yet there continues to be an absence of high-quality data.
For example, even though triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease with a high recurrence and mortality rate, there is little accurate data on it in England. Studies from the US indicate that TNBC disproportionately affects black women, data which enables organisations to offer tailored support. But in England, we don’t have the numbers.
By collecting and publishing data on all cancer types, including the time taken for each step in the pathway, the NHS could be better equipped to take more informed steps to improve pinch points.
Playing our part
Without collaboration, the government can’t bring down cancer waiting times. At MSD, we are actively working with the NHS on new strategies which enhance capacity and support patients to receive timely care.
We have dedicated teams who co-create bespoke projects with the NHS. This includes supporting NHS hospitals to implement improved cancer pathways, tailored to any challenges that local health services may have been facing to support better management.
We are also collaborating with the NHS to build models of cancer treatment services, helping cancer services to better plan for current and future demands. We do this by building a model of local cancer treatment services, identifying key issues and adjusting parameters to make it meaningful to the NHS hospital trust.
These projects are designed specifically to improve patient pathways and expand capacity to reduce cancer wait times, reducing inequalities.
Cancer care fit for the future
The new government has a massive opportunity to reduce waiting times and tackle health inequalities. Achieving this will take dedicated focus from politicians, the NHS and the cancer community, including pharmaceutical companies. We at MSD are committed to playing our part.
Job bag: GB-NON-10343. October 2024
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