Hospital Acts Over Cancer Delays

1.21.05pm GMT Thu 15th Jan 2004

The hospital that provides radio therapy services to local cancer patients (Hammersmith) has made big strides in cutting the long time which used to elapse between diagnosis and the commencement of treatment. Vincent Cable has been highly critical in parliament of the long delays for treatment facing local women with breast cancer - it could be as much as three months - and has been pressing the hospital to act.

It has responded by attracting more staff to fill vacancies as radiographers (though there is still a 30% vacancy rate); also cutting delays by 4 weeks - partly by using capacity in the (private) Cromwell hospital.

Vincent Cable said he was "gratified that progress is being made. The waiting time for cancer treatment is a life or death matter: leave it too late and the illness progresses beyond the stage of treatment. I was very concerned at the delays experienced by some local women I have met and, indeed, raised the matter with the Prime Minister directly in Prime Ministers Questions. It does appear that the money being channelled into the NHS, and especially the cancer plan, is having some effect".