Coronavirus: Extend therapies to ease cancer backlog, doctors tell Hancock

by Katie Gibbons, Reporter, The Times

Note: This article was originally published on The Times

Cancer patients are travelling miles for radiotherapy as advanced equipment sits unused in half of NHS trusts because of bureaucratic delays, health professionals say.

They have written to the health secretary calling for an end to the “absurd situation” in which patients cannot access vital equipment at local cancer centres because staff are prevented from using it.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is limited to half of NHS trusts at present despite its huge potential for dealing with the cancer care backlog.

During the pandemic chemotherapy treatment has been delayed owing to immune system supression risks and cancer surgeries cancelled because of demands on intensive care units.

Read the full article here.
*Subscription required

Share this post