“There is absolutely no accountability in this sector!” This is what I wrote on a recent tweet that has had 35000 + reads. The more I see, the more shocked I am, at the clowns running this circus! Politicians holding the purse strings. NHS England etc, watching on in fear that their budget will be cut even more. Cancer Research, our biggest charity, tells us all that “WE ARE BEATING CANCER!” Whilst saying nothing to rock the boat, in case they also lose some grant money. Macmillan Cancer Support, telling us how strong they are, and how they are there for us. Also don’t want to step out of line to protect their brand and income.
In my lifetime, the people at the top of the cancer tree, have been the same. Government, NHS England or similar, and the two big charities previously mentioned. Of course, there has been some ‘progress.’ You would expect that, for the resources put into those organisations! But given the increasing numbers of us impacted, and the waiting lists growing, the last word it can be described as is SUCCESS. Yet we continue with the same organisations, in the same direction?????
I smile when I see charities holding up posters, with MPS, outside Parliament. All from the cancer world, thinking what an honour that is! Are these annual jollies achieving anything at all? If this is the best we can do, to represent people who are dying early every day, no wonder nothing changes! This sector is weak, and self serving, and is why we are in this mess. Why do we not question any of these people? Does anyone know who Dame Cally Palmer is? She is the National Cancer Director, also CEO of the Royal Marsden. She certainly enjoys a low profile! Any questions for her? You can see her video above!
Finding Cancer Early
The UK is good at finding cancer early. But waiting lists for treatment are very long. Many patients have to wait weeks, or months to start treatment, after diagnosis. This lets cancer spread and get worse. Quick treatment, gives much better chances of surviving cancer. But long waits, cancel out the good, from early detection. More people die, when they have to wait for treatment to start.
The Stress of Waiting
Living with an untreated cancer is very upsetting. People feel anxious, and scared, not knowing what will happen next. Their families suffer too. Good mental health, also helps recovery. But extra stress makes cancer harder to handle. Often, patients need more medical checks, before treatment can start. Things like biopsies. But these tests are slow too due to backlogs. For some people, waiting too long means cancer becomes incurable.
Not Enough Doctors and Resources
The UK does not have enough cancer doctors, nurses and equipment. COVID made shortages much worse. The backlog keeps building. Many people can’t get scans, surgery, drugs or therapy, when needed. Sometimes the only choice left is risky, expensive treatments, with worse side effects. But waiting, even lets cancer spread beyond hope of control.
The Human Cost is Huge
As more people get cancer, ballooning waiting lists mean worse outcomes and survival rates. Lost lives, and productivity, already costs billions. More delays will make things much worse, without big changes. Outdated systems, reward hospitals based on speed not quality. Under pressure, doctors lack time to fully support each patient, step-by-step. To get better results, more money must shift toward prevention, and early intervention.
Solutions for Better Cancer Care
To improve cancer care, everyone has to work together in new ways. Make services more friendly, and available for patients and families. Pay providers to deliver excellence, not rushed volume. Hire and train more specialists based in communities. And restart cancer screening programmes, used less through covid. Financial incentives drive choices – so rewards need to encourage better care. With bolder vision, we can turn waiting list trauma into better, kinder healthcare.
We must give the highest standards for the sickest people. This starts with quicker treatment, allowing doctors to use their skills. Quality cancer care is tough, but it’s doable with fair resourcing. The greatest gift is faster healing. Let’s make sure tomorrow’s patients, never have their lives ruined by waiting.
Are we truly making an effort to diagnose cancer earlier? Of course this makes perfect sense. But imagine that your cancer has been diagnosed, and you are then stuck in a record waiting list, for treatment? What I know, is that the more cancer you look for, the more you will find. Currently, and in the coming years, we cannot deal with the disease we are finding, with our awful system. I do hope you can see the madness of continuing our cancer work this way. Unfortunately unless we start talking out, en mass, these ‘chancers’ will continue ‘earning’ honours and fortunes for failure. As always these are my personal opinions gained by my own experience. Please feel free to share your own below.
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