NHS Aiming to Reduce Failings in Cancer Health Care
The government's new Cancer Health Care Strategy identifies the failings in the current NHS provision of care to people with cancer.
Challenges and opportunities
It notes that mortality rates from cancer in the UK are higher than in comparable countries; that performance standards are not always being met; that diagnosis rates have only recently started to improve, and that there are noticeable inequalities in access to cancer care across communities.
The 10 year health plan is intended to be transformational, aiming for the NHS to become 'a global leader on cancer survival' by 2035.
Avenues to diagnosis through technological and scientific innovation, access to care, improvement in prevention strategies and reducing inequality are all targets within the plan.
Specifically, three priorities are identified:
- Improvement on core performance standards in diagnosis, treatment, quality of care and patient experience
- Improved survival rates
- Better support for quality of life after cancer diagnosis
Strategies include increased access to testing, improved use of technological capabilities, rolling out or improving screening programmes, evolving the use of the NHS App, increasing access to specialist centres, and prioritising areas where the greatest challenges are faced.
Responding to failings in care
Guidelines exist which are intended to minimise the negative impact of cancer; to achieve the earliest possible diagnosis and provide the most appropriate form of treatment within the best timeframe.
However, the plan acknowledges that this is not always achieved and people suffer as a result.
Occasionally, symptoms are not recognised as possibly indicative of cancer. Sometimes, a referral is not made within an appropriate timeframe, or at all.
Patients can occasionally find that they have to make multiple visits to their healthcare facility before the implications of their symptoms are recognised and a referral for testing is made.
By this time, their long-term outlook may be far worse than would have been the case with earlier recognition, diagnosis and treatment.
Where negligent or substandard medical care has influenced this distressing outcome, it may be possible to claim compensation for the consequences.
Making a claim for compensation
A successful claim will address the impact of the negligent care such as a loss of income, the costs of care or specialist equipment, dependent on the needs of the patient as a result of the impact of the substandard medical care.
In the first instance, you need to speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor who will be able to investigate the quality of your care.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced lawyers and extensive expertise in cancer care compensation claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
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