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RAccording to NHS data, many cancer patients have had to wait weeks before seeing a specialist.
Physician leaders have condemned the "shameful" state of cancer services this winter, as the number of patients waiting to see an oncologist for more than three weeks jumped 73 percent from the previous year to more than 8,800.
The British Medical Association (BMA) badysis also shows that more than one-third of hospitals and cancer clinics did not reach the two-week target for GPs in January, up 15% from at the same time in 2018.
In addition to the goal set for two weeks, NHS officials must ensure that 85% of patients begin their first cancer treatment within 62 days of urgent referral from a treating physician.
However, only 76% were seen in this window.
As part of the NHS long-term plan for the next 10 years, performance is far from committing to dramatically improving cancer services.
Last October, Health and Social Services Secretary Matt Hanbad announced his intention to give a diagnosis within three weeks to patients who are seeing the general practitioner with possible signs of cancer.
Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA, said: "Behind these statistics, which show that the NHS is plunged deeper into the crisis this winter, are stories of real lives in distress.
"Forcing a patient to wait for his first cancer treatment for two months is shameful for an influential country, and as a physician, I can only too well imagine the distress it will cause to them and their families.
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