The ‘two week wait’ target for people with suspected breast cancer hasn’t been met in years and it has worsened since the end of the pandemic, but one Essex trust has been trialling a new innovative solution to reduce waiting times and is seeing great success.
Breast cancer two week wait referral time targets are consistently being missed month on month, lagging behind every other cancer type
The percentage of patients seen within two weeks is now lower now than this time last year, during the pandemic
Delays in referrals can mean that cancer is more likely to spread or worsen, which affects treatment options or prognosis and can also cause anxiety and stress
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has put in place several initiatives to target their breast cancer referral backlog and is seeing great success
Thousands of people with suspected breast cancer are waiting too long to be seen by a specialist, with recent stats indicating little improvement since the end of the pandemic. The NHS target for 93% of patients to be seen within two weeks of visiting their GP [1] has not been met in years, and the most recent statistics (June 2022) are lower than the same period last year (69% vs.72%) [2], when the UK was still in the grips of the pandemic These statistics also indicate that suspected breast cancer patients are more likely to wait longer than two weeks than when compared to all types of suspected cancer (69% vs 78%) [2].
Long waits for referrals can result in cancer either worsening or spreading by the time it is diagnosed and treated, affecting prognoses and treatment options. Furthermore, being left waiting with cancer symptoms can cause extreme stress and anxiety, regardless of whether the cancer is eventually diagnosed or not.
One NHS Trust in Essex has been trialling an innovative new solution to reduce their breast cancer referral times, and have seen great success, with 1,025 patients being seen at the weekends since May and fewer patients waiting more than two weeks since the beginning of the year, and the COVID-19 backlog significantly reduced.
Working closely with HBSUK, an innovative healthcare solutions provider, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust put in place several initiatives to target their breast cancer referral backlog. These include extra clinics on Saturdays and Bank Holidays, as well as dedicated clinics for specific age groups. Though it hasn’t been without its challenges, not least with staff being affected by COVID-19, the ongoing programme is proving a huge success as the trust continues to rapidly reduce its breast cancer backlog. It is hoped that Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s approach will now be applied to other cancer and disease areas.
Natalie L Knowles, Service Unit Manager Surgery Division, Breast – Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said:
I have worked with the Team at HBSUK since February 2022 and I'm happy that we have had full support from day 1 and has been a pleasure working with a well-oiled machine as HBSUK is.
Notes to editor
[1] House of Commons Library ‘NHS Cancer Targets’: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2018-0105/CDP-2018-0105.pdf
[2] NHS England Statistics: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
About HBSUK
At HBSUK, our focus is on giving people choice in accessing the right care to meet their needs when it’s needed. Our digital first approach via our triage platform, Virtual Lucy™, ensures all cases are assessed by clinical specialists typically within 72 hours. Patients interact with us at their convenience and from where they want. For our NHS clients we reduce your waiting list backlog for any speciality by deploying clinical teams to your facility in under 4 weeks (10+ years as leading insourcing provider to the NHS). Our Medical Board includes some of the country’s most senior clinicians, who oversee our safe and high-quality services. We can provide long term support or be brought in to solve a specific issue, while improving your pathways and leaving you with sustainable tools and systems.
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