[ad_1]
There were at least 4.4 million fewer scans between April and September, many of which could have saved lives, after the National Health Service (NHS) was asked in March to cancel all non-essential appointments due to the Chinese coronavirus.
Analysis by the BBC found that ultrasounds and CT and MRI scans fell by a third during that time.
NHS England has also admitted that the backlog of services is so large that one in seven people awaiting analysis have been on the list for more than three months.
Cancer Research UK warns that the delays could mean more people presenting to medical services in worse condition than they would have been had they been allowed to seek treatment earlier.
Last week, for example, the father of two, Sherwin Hall, died of cancer. Mr Hall had repeatedly asked the hospital in April and May for an MRI, but said he was told he ‘couldn’t get one as scanning services were slowed down due to the coronavirus “. His widow said if he had taken the test he would be alive today.
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the British Institute for Radiology (BIR) had said the lack of radiologists and radiology equipment in socialized hospitals had contributed to long waiting lists.
Hospital administrators had also removed radiologists from their regular shifts to get help managing coronavirus infections.
‘Protecting the NHS’: Doctors applying DNRs without consent may have caused preventable deaths https://t.co/EaTHl45mLh
– Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 4, 2020
The real health cost of rotating much of the National Health Service’s resources to the coronavirus, while neglecting other medical interventions, including those related to cancer, has become apparent in recent months.
Data from last month revealed the number of NHS patients waiting more than a year for treatment was at its highest level in 12 years, with the health service admitting it had to prioritize the coronavirus.
Healthcare analyst firm Dr Foster reported in October that at the height of the pandemic, admissions were down across the board, including for prostate cancer (down 64%), bowel cancer (39%) and breast cancer (30%). .
Separate reports found that chemotherapy hospital attendance fell 66% in April, while urgent referrals for early cancer diagnosis fell 89%.
Dr Foster said the effects of the pandemic on medical treatments were “likely to be far reaching, with a future peak in demand possible due to missed diagnoses and postponed procedures.”
“Cancers may now require a higher level of treatment, or even be incurable, if they have not been detected or treated due to the crisis,” the company added.
The July forecast showed some 35,000 additional deaths from cancer alone in a year, due to the Chinese virus’ effect on the NHS.
Coronavirus: Less than two percent of NHS hospital trusts are busier now than in 2019 https://t.co/PGK3cqXv6p
– Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 1, 2020
Follow Breitbart London on Facebook: Breitbart London
[ad_2]
Source link