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The health ombudsman for England has cautioned that cancer patients are being endangered due to an overstrained and understaffed health service with fatigued workers facing unsustainable levels of pressure.
The health ombudsman for England, Rob Behrens, is urging the government to take decisive and ongoing steps to prioritize patient safety within the NHS.
According to data from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), a total of 1,019 investigations were conducted regarding cancer from April 2020 to December 2023. Out of these complaints, 185 were either fully or partially upheld.
The most frequent problems included delayed treatment and incorrect diagnosis, with the majority of investigations focusing on patients with lung, breast, and colorectal cancer.
Additional issues involved inadequate communication within the context of cancer treatment, as well as referrals and end-of-life care, and the management of client grievances by institutions.
The primary problems often pertained to delays in treatment and incorrect diagnoses.
John Eastwood, who is 79 years old, was extremely disgusted with the quality of care his wife, Sandra, received when she was admitted to York Hospital in June 2020 due to abdominal pain. They had been married for 54 years at the time.
The grandmother’s CT scans revealed a growth in her abdominal area, which doctors attributed to the medication she was taking after a heart valve surgery.
After being released, she went back to the hospital in May 2021 due to worsening symptoms. She was eventually diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called gastro-intestinal stromal tumour, which affects the digestive system.
Ms. Eastwood was informed in January 2022 that her cancer was incurable and passed away four months afterwards.
Mr Eastwood described his late wife as “wonderful”, adding: “I feel absolutely disgusted with the ‘care’ she received from the hospital. They didn’t investigate the scan results and just put it down to Warfarin straight away.
The impression was that there was a lack of communication among the medical teams, leading to a disjointed experience. Sadly, she suffered in pain for several months before passing away.
, regulators, and health leaders
Rob Behrens, the health ombudsman of England, is urging the government, regulators, and health leaders to take coordinated and long-term action.
The PHSO recently concluded their inquiry into the death of Ms. Eastwood, stating that the delay resulted in her not being able to receive treatment with a 95% survival rate.
According to the probe, the scans were not interpreted accurately. The images should have been evaluated by a team with diverse specialties, and additional tests for the mass should have been done within three months.
A representative from the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stated that they “completely acknowledge” the ombudsman’s conclusions and express regret for the upset experienced by Ms Eastwood and her family.
They stated that the trust has implemented several enhancements and consented to modifying its procedures in light of the situation.
The health ombudsman, Rob Behrens, stated that every individual deserves to receive care that is both safe and effective.
Patient safety is constantly in danger in workplaces with inadequate staffing and tired, overburdened staff members.
In December 2023, the most recent data from NHS England revealed that 74.2% of patients who were referred for urgent diagnosis of cancer were either diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within a 28-day period. This falls slightly below the desired target of 75%, but is an improvement from the 71.9% rate in the previous month.
Last month, the BBC reported on an analysis that indicated that cancer waiting times in England in the previous year were the worst they have ever been.
Approximately 64.1% of individuals undergoing cancer treatment did not receive treatment within the recommended 62-day timeframe, which equates to almost 100,000 patients.
The waiting times have deteriorated each year over the last 11 years.
Mr. Behrens requested that the government take deliberate and continuous measures to ensure that NHS leaders can prioritize patient safety and are held responsible for doing so.
He stated: “An essential aspect of this is to make investments in the employees, both for current and future needs by fully funding the long-term workforce plan.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for a statement.
Source: independent.co.uk
