In anticipation of its soon-to-be-published National Cancer Plan, the government is already flagging up what are expected to be some of its key elements.
A particular focus will be measures aiming to reduce regional inequalities in cancer care, often referred to as a ‘postcode lottery’. Rural, coastal and working class communities are identified as suffering from less access to prompt cancer care.
Of course, early diagnosis of cancer is the key to the best patient outcome and delays can be associated with a deterioration in the patient’s condition and a reduction in their chance of long-term survival.
To address this issue, the government is aiming to introduce more training places in those areas identified as suffering with the greatest inequality and encouraging more doctors to become cancer specialists.
Increasing use of new technology is also expected to improve diagnosis times for some cancers.
Bowel cancer, a major cause of death in the UK, will be a target of government plans to improve early diagnosis through lowering sensitivity thresholds in the bowel cancer screening programme.
New standards for cancer care will be also incorporated into the new National Cancer Plan.
The right to compensation
A delay in diagnosis for cancer can be devastating for the patient and their loved ones. Those who experience timely medical care can achieve a very different outcome from those whose access to care and diagnosis is poor.
Where substandard medical care has left a patient suffering a worse outcome than would have been the case with an acceptable level of care, the patient is legally entitled to compensation for the consequences of that negligence.
This would address the financial losses which the negligence has caused as well as recognising their pain and suffering.
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