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NHS Waiting Times: Crisis In Cancer and Heart Tests Costing Lives
December 3, 2004 5:26 PM
Patients waiting for potentially life-saving cancer and heart diagnosis are facing long and unacceptable delays which could be prevented with better planning, according to a survey of NHS Trusts conducted by the Liberal Democrats. The results are published as the NHS Chief Executive is expected to announce that hospital waiting lists are falling.
The NHS Trusts surveyed put the long waiting times down to a dramatic rise in recruitment problems and a shortage of modern equipment. The report also found poor, centralised planning means that money and vital equipment needed for diagnostic examinations are being wasted.
The report, The Hidden Waiting List: An investigation into hidden waiting times for diagnosis in the NHS, finds:
- Patients are waiting six months or more in two out of five NHS Trusts for routine MRI scans (used to detect brain tumours, cancers and serious heart conditions)
* One in twelve Trusts have waiting lists for MRI scans of over one year
* More that one in ten Trusts report waiting times for CT scans of six months or more (used for the diagnosis of cancers)
* Almost a third report waiting times of four months or over
* Vacancies for diagnostic radiographers have risen by a third since 2000
* NHS radiologist vacancies have more than doubled in five years
* Almost nine out of ten Trusts report recruitment problems to be one of the key obstacles to reducing waiting times
* Over a third of Trusts cite availability and age of scanner equipment as the one of main obstacles to reducing waiting times
* Seven respondents specifically cited ageing equipment as a factor behind long waiting times
* Poor, centralised planning is cited as a central reason for a hold up getting vital scanning equipment to the frontline. One respondent to the survey said:
"There is a total waste of resources by the Government. I have two ultrasound machines - brand new - worth about £60,000 which have been purchased for peripheral clinics, one of which is not yet built! Both are currently in storage! And with a 5 year useful life the machines are deteriorating in value."
Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said:
"These figures show that Labour is being too quick to trumpet shorter waiting times. The true picture remains that thousands of people are suffering the stress and anxiety of unacceptable waits for important scans and tests.
"Patients are dying because of Government failure on diagnostic care. It is simply outrageous that patients have to wait so long for the diagnosis of life threatening conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
"Despite its meddling and target-setting, the Government does not even know how many patients are waiting for diagnostic tests, or for how long. This is keeping patients and the public in the dark and postponing the action needed to cut waiting times. This country deserves an NHS fit for the 21st Century not one held back by ageing equipment and recruitment black holes."
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