NHS patients in England are struggling to access cutting edge cancer treatments because of bureaucracy and inadequate funding, senior doctors have warned.
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) gave the warning as new analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) showed that only half of people in England diagnosed with cancer after an urgent referral are being diagnosed on time.
The RCR, which also represents oncologists, urged the government to overhaul the uneven commissioning and funding structures for cancer treatments that create “a postcode lottery” for access.
Nicky Thorp, the RCR’s vice president for clinical oncology, said, “The government’s upcoming cancer plan presents a fantastic opportunity to reconsider how treatments are commissioned and funded.”
In a briefing paper1 published on 11 September, the RCR said that “a cumbersome application process” that NHS …
