Waits for breast cancer patients expected to be ‘back on track’ by end of month

Significant concerns were raised about patients having to wait longer than the NHS two-week target, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic.

The two-week wait target covers the time from being referred by a GP to seeing a specialist and the wait grew to 35 days in January, according to a report to Shropshire & Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups’ governance boards, which met online yesterday.

But updating members, Dr Julie Davies, director of performance for the CCGs, said: “The situation has continued to improve with current booking being at day 17. We are confident we can get to day 14, we are told by the trust, by the end of the month.

“However, we are very tight in terms of demand and capacity.”

She said further planning would be done on actions that can help to get ‘demand and capacity to a more sustainable position’.

“Not least because there will be considerable recovery to do from the breast screening programme as well that we will need to work our way through over coming months,” she added.

She confirmed referrals were now down to a 17 day wait for both suspected breast cancer and symptomatic referrals.

In January, board members were told it is being impacted by capacity restrictions caused by the pandemic, and related to ‘estate changes’ impacting waiting room space and the ability to maintain social distancing in waiting areas at Shropshire’s acute hospitals.

Impact

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital, says it has taken action to create an additional waiting area to reduce wait times.

The pandemic has also had an impact on the waiting times for patients needing planned operations and procedures, with urgent cases prioritised. But Dr Davies said the numbers of Covid patients are falling at the county’s hospitals, giving SaTH the chance to reopen its theatres and recovery areas.

She said: “Providers are meeting weekly on their recovery so we will definitely have a more detailed position to bring back to the governing body next time.

“Although I would like to say the backlogs are considerable so it will take some considerable time and we will also need the certainty from the centre in terms of the national funding for the recovery.

“One thing that has worked well has been the combined waiting list around orthopaedics.

“We have continued to use the Nuffield. We are limited in some of the patients that can go there but all the ones that can are going there.

“We continue to fully utilise the capacity through to the end of March.”