According to The Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust they have confirmed six deaths due to delayed cancer diagnosis and misdiagnosis in the past three years
With four main hospital sites including in Salford, Rochdale and Bury, the Trust was found to have the second highest figures out of all UK trusts.
In November last year, Cancer Research UK warned that the UK’s progress in treating the disease is at risk of stalling due to slow and late diagnosis coupled with treatment delays.
Recently, England’s Health Ombudsman warned that cancer patients could be put at risk and called for immediate government action after research into cancer complaints frequently pointed to misdiagnosis and treatment delays.
It prompted a new UK-wide investigation by Medical Negligence Assist (MNA) which found startling instances where patients have died due to delays in cancer diagnosis and misdiagnosis.
Through a series of Freedom of Information requests to every NHS Trust in the UK, it has uncovered the number of such fatalities between 2021, up to and including any instances in 2024.
Of the 124 NHS Trusts that were contacted, 71% provided full responses to the requests for information.
10 Trusts denied the request either due to the request exceeding appropriate costs for retrieving the information or because their systems do not hold the information or allow their data to be aggregated in a way that would sufficiently answer the request.
The most fatalities due to cancer delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis were recorded by The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which recorded the UK’s second highest figures, runs four main sites in the North West including, Salford Royal Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospitals, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.
The trust confirmed a total of six deaths between 2021 and 2024.
Two deaths were recorded in 2021, followed by a further three in 2022. Another fatality was also confirmed for 2023.
So far this year, as of April 2024 there have been no reported deaths due to delays in cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosis, according to the trust.
Multiple NHS Trusts did not confirm specific numbers due to concerns about patient confidentiality but did provide estimated figures. The following Trusts confirmed ‘less that five fatalities’:
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust: Less than five
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
- Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
- South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Whittington Health NHS Trust
- Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Rob Behrens, England’s Health ombudsman has stressed the imperative of safe and effective care within the NHS.
“Patient safety will always be at risk in environments that are understaffed and where staff are exhausted and under unsustainable pressure,” he said.
He called for “concerted and sustained action from the government” to ensure NHS leaders can focus on safeguarding patients.
The situation is further reflected in NHS England’s data which shows that only 74.2 per cent of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer in December 2023 received a diagnosis or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, failing to meet the 75 per cent target.
This month, April 11, Cancer Research UK produced a report on the latest cancer waiting times in England saying: “Once again, the cancer waiting times published today represent unacceptable waits for cancer patients.”
Looking at cancer waiting times, shows whether the health system is meeting its targets for quickly diagnosing and treating cancer and can help show the extent of the pressures with England’s Healthcare.
The Cancer Research UK report adds: “Behind every one of these missed targets are patients, friends, family and loved ones who are facing unacceptably long and anxious waits to find out if they have cancer and when they can begin treatment.
“Whilst it is welcome that the Faster Diagnostic Standard (FDS) of 75% has been met, which is testament to the hard work of NHS staff in responding to growing demands for diagnostic tests, the 75% target is set well below the originally recommended target of 95%. We have not seen all cancer waiting times met since 2015 which represents a long-term failure to plan and invest in the NHS workforce and key facilities and equipment.”
Head of Medical Negligence at MNA, Nick Banks said: “Whilst claiming against medical insurance agencies can seem daunting, such claims are the best way to ensure funding is made available for all of the patient’s short-term and longer-term needs.
“This can make a real difference to how quickly that patient is able to regain their former quality of life.
“Bringing such claims can also help the medical profession to identify important areas of improvement, hopefully ensuring that no future patients ever fall victim to the same mistakes.”
Medical Negligence Assist has a team of experts at hand to offer professional advice for anyone who has suffered medical negligence.
They operate a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access on their website.
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