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Postponing NHS appointments for some cancer patients due to the fuel crisis will put additional pressure on patients and their families, charities have warned.
The Guardian has learned that several cancer patients who were due for appointments this week at University College Hospital (UCLH), one of London’s largest hospitals, have been told they will need to be rescheduled .
A UCLH spokesperson confirmed that a “small number” of patients had re-scheduled appointments, but said no patient in need of urgent treatment would have their treatment delayed.
The spokesperson said: “Due to the national fuel supply, we are reorganizing a small number of outpatient appointments over the next few days for patients who need to be brought to our hospitals by our patient transport provider. non-urgent, offering virtual appointments where possible. . “
Samantha Dixon, Managing Director of the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: ‘This is really concerning and adds additional stress to cancer patients and their families at an already difficult time, in addition to NHS staff across the country .
“The current backlog in cancer services due to Covid is already high and we cannot afford to add further delays. A solution is urgently needed so that patients do not have to face the prospect of postponed testing and treatment. In an already tough year, this is the last thing they need.
It was also reported that some Bedfordshire hospital consultants were unable to get to work as nearby petrol stations were closed after running out of fuel.
The disruption of NHS care comes amid calls for key workers, such as health and social workers, to have priority access to fuel where it is available.
Doctors, nurses and unions of teachers, prison staff and care have called for prioritizing essential workers at gas stations.
Lives could be lost if the situation continues, Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, adding: “We cannot leave desperate and vulnerable patients stranded without the care they deserve. “
A senior nursing official warned that patient care would be compromised if health workers did not have “priority access” to fuel.
The principal of the Royal College of Nursing England, Patricia Marquis, said some nurses have told their bosses they will not be able to make it to work this week due to queues at petrol stations and empty pumps.
As fuel shortages began to affect the NHS, Marquis said the crisis was of particular concern to nurses as they often had to travel long distances to get to work or see their patients in the community.
“Health and care services, already struggling with widespread staff shortages, cannot afford to lose more staff because they cannot travel,” she said. “We already know that some nurses are warning their employers that they may not be able to be around tomorrow to ensure that shifts can be safely held.
Anna Parry, deputy executive director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said she supports calls to prioritize rescuers, saying it is vital that paramedics and other paramedics can get to work.
She added: “At a time when the pressures on ambulance services are unprecedented – in large part due to the pandemic and its far-reaching impact – it is vital that our employees can get to work to help. to save lives and care for patients. Removing any potential hurdles related to finding and queuing fuel supplies would certainly help. “
British Medical Association vice-chairman Dr David Wrigley said essential services could be affected if staff couldn’t get to work because they couldn’t fill up.
“We can’t wait two or three hours in a fuel line when we have patients to see. This is a critical situation where we are not sure we have the fuel to do NHS and social work so a plan has to be in place, ”he told Times Radio.
The disruption in cancer care comes after a report warned it could take more than a decade to clear the cancer treatment backlog in England.
The pandemic has taken such a toll that about 19,500 people have not been diagnosed with cancer, which should have been due to missed referrals, according to the think tank of the Institute for Public Policy Research and the CF health consulting firm.
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