As a seasoned cancer researcher in the private sector and with a current collaboration with UCL London, I have as an observer been following a case that involves access to cancer treatment within an 18 week window from a first visit to a GP. This is the guideline time published by the NHS.
As an observation, 18 weeks is half the term of a human pregnancy, and when talking about someone having unrestricted cancer growth from the time of a first visit to their GP to receiving any treatment, during this period the cancer is going to grow, and in some instances will metastasise which will then make their cancer more difficult or impossible to successfully treat. Also during this time, the patient may suffer from any number of adverse physical effects caused by their cancer, apart from the understandable psychological trauma that they may also undergo caused by this delay in starting any treatment.
In the case that I have observed, the patient visited their GP who advised the need for an ultrasound scan that took six weeks to undertake. The time taken to to refer back to the GP was one week. A referral to a specialist was arranged taking another two weeks, who advised a CT scan, which took another two weeks. A referral back to the specialist took one week, who in turn advised a biopsy was required and currently two weeks have passed and the date for this is still awaited. At the moment fourteen weeks have gone by without knowing what the cancer is, which, in turn, prevents any form of treatment being undertaken.
As a direct comparison of how long it might take a person who is treated privately instead of by the NHS, in my experience it would be possible to identify a person’s cancer and have a diagnosis made through a biopsy, in one week.
The question arises, what is the point of having the latest cancer treatments if access to them is going to take 18 weeks?
Of course there is an unrecognised solution to this problem, which is that the NHS purchases spare private health diagnostic facilities, which are actually cheaper than using NHS own resources and this is why this situation is ridiculous.
Until there is a crossover agreement, my advice to anyone who has the resources, is to take out private health insurance as a way to get access to cancer treatment should you be unfortunate to ever need it.
There is an NHS publication which outlines its position on access to treatment including cancer.
I have the highest praise for the staff at Rye Medical Centre, who immediately suspected I had cancer and set in motion the various stages of diagnosis and treatment at The Conquest Hospital.
The required operation took place six weeks after my initial visit to the doctor, and, as at the Rye Medical Centre, everyone I met at the hospital was professional, considerate and kindness itself.