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An audit concluded that the lack of diagnostic equipment and the lack of personnel to operate the machines and report the results of the badysis are detrimental to the ambition of England to fill the five year cancer survival rate gap with the best in Europe.
The report from the Health Foundation has identified other issues to be addressed, such as familiarizing people with the symptoms of cancer so that they are more likely to seek early medical intervention.
Unfinished Business Cancer Survival Rates
The report, Unfinished , reviewed the progress made in cancer treatment in two decades since the launch of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000, which was the first comprehensive national strategy to improve cancer care in England. The plan noted that people with cancer had worse results than those in other European countries and promised that, by 2010, "our 5 – year survival rates for cancer will be comparable to those in other countries. those of the best in Europe ".
The report revealed that progress had been made in reducing mortality and improving the chances of survival and management experience of cancer patients in England.
However, despite improvements, the five-year survival rates for England and the rest of the UK have not caught up with those of other comparable countries. With the exception of bad cancer, the gap has not been reduced, other countries have also improved.
The report notes, for example, that a person diagnosed with colon cancer in the United Kingdom has a 60% chance of survival after 5 years, compared to 71% for people living in Australia.
Persistent failures were also noted in the early detection of the disease, where the proportion of people diagnosed with cancer at an early stage remained almost static between 2015 and 2017.
The report calls for:
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The NHS needs to invest considerably in more diagnostic equipment and train staff to use it. It shows that the United Kingdom ranked 35th out of 37 countries for scanners and 31st out of 36 for MRI scanners.
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Greater support from general practitioners to refer suspected cancer patients to diagnostic tests and sufficient funding for primary care to meet the demand for appointments. This should allow for the investigation of patients with symptoms indicating a risk of cancer of 3% or more, as recommended by the NICE guidelines.
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Recent research suggesting that 22% of people were worried about losing the time of a GP, the public had to be more aware of the symptoms of cancer so they could ask for help quickly and improve their chances of survival.
Diagnostic recommendations included improvements in screening for bowel cancer, low-dose CT scans for people at risk for lung cancer, and the acceleration of the rapid diagnostic center program.
The goals of cancer treatment "have not been achieved"
Professor Sir Mike Richards, former National Director of Cancer, who helped write the report, said: "The NHS's cancer plan in 2000 and all subsequent cancer control strategies have ambition to give England the ambitions to compete with the best in cancer survival.
"While progress has been made on many aspects of cancer, these goals have not been met, and every year thousands of deaths could be avoided if we achieved these goals. falling from the sky every two weeks. "
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs has stated that cancer is a priority for the government. A spokesperson said: "We are committed to providing a new standard of 28 days from April 2019, which will allow patients suspected of cancer to be diagnosed or to have cancer excluded in the 28 days.
"We also announced last month a new cancer control strategy, which will radically reorganize the system and ensure the early detection of 75% of all cancers, by 2028."
Sir Mike commented: "The ambitious goal of the Prime Minister to increase early detection of cancer of 1 in 2 people today to 3 out of 4 by 2028 is welcome, but if we seriously want to switch to the diagnostic dial early, set goals and distribute money will not be enough.
"The NHS must change the way care is currently organized to facilitate people's visualization and diagnosis as quickly as possible because we know it gives them the best chance of survival."
Staff shortage and underfunding
Ruth Thorlby, Assistant Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said: "Although investments are clearly needed in the workforce and equipment, the experience of the last twenty years in the field of cancer shows that staff need support, evidence and skills to implement change – the injection of resources alone will not be effective. "
Emma Greenwood, Director of Policy, Cancer Research UK, said: "Preventing more cancers and diagnosing people early on are essential for advanced cancer care." Every element of the health system has its own role to play, particularly encouraging more people to seek advice when they have symptoms to make sure more people are diagnosed early.
"But significant shortages of qualified personnel to diagnose cancer remain a major impediment to progress, and we urgently need to consider a clear plan to strengthen the cancer workforce, supported by investments." vital – as part of the NHS – long-term plan. "
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