The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is disappointed in the government’s response to the Parliamentary Select Committees report on cancer services. We are also disappointed in their decision not to offer a full response to the independently appointed expert panels review of performance against government targets, especially as for the first time the panel has returned a verdict of ‘inadequate’.
College President, Prof. Mike Griffin, commented:
Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer are vital to securing positive outcomes for patients. The reports of both the Select Committee and the Expert Panel – both of which the College contributed to – sounded a warning bell that more work needed to be done on cancer and the government has failed to heed the concern.
Given the time it takes to train oncologists and cancer surgeons we cannot agree with the government’s comments that concerns over workforce gaps are ‘premature’ for the target to be met in 2028.
The government’s future plan must provide answers to the issues the Select Committee raised, on filling workforce gaps, analysing the level of the cancer backlog, publishing a breakdown of the additional capacity that will be required to meet that demand and hit the government’s 2028 of 75% of cancers being diagnosed early as well as how that capacity will be generated.
Until that is done we are forced to continue to raise concerns on behalf of clinicians and patients.