Wigan cancer patient referrals drop by half during pandemic

The number of people sent for urgent cancer investigations at Wigan hospitals has more than halved as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show.
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The number of people sent for urgent cancer investigations at Wigan hospitals has more than halved as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show.

Macmillan Cancer Support says the virus has “wreaked havoc” on cancer care nationally, with service disruption and fears over Covid-19 leading to a huge backlog of patients requiring vital treatment.

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NHS England data shows 481 people were seen by a WWL specialists following an urgent GP referral in April.

Wigan Infirmary's cancer care unitWigan Infirmary's cancer care unit
Wigan Infirmary's cancer care unit

That was down from 995 in the same month last year – a drop of 52 per cent.

The situation reflects that across England, where 79,600 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in April, down 60 per cent from April 2019.

Under normal circumstances the figure would be around 210,000 in April, Macmillan said, suggesting around 130,000 fewer people could have missed important examinations.

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Lynda Thomas, Macmillan’s chief executive, said the latest figures are a “sobering demonstration” of the impact of Covid-19 on cancer services.

“The pandemic has wreaked havoc on cancer care. Many people with cancer are being left to wait for next steps in fear, worrying about the long-term implications for their health, their families and their future.

“We’ve been calling for an urgent recovery plan for NHS cancer services since April, to ensure cancer does not become the forgotten ‘C’ throughout this crisis.”

At WWL, the number of people starting treatment following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer fell by 19 per cent to 42 in April – mirroring the fall seen across England.

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Dr Sanjay Arya, Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist at WWL, said: “We’re all very concerned about the low numbers of people attending cancer appointments and accessing other services.

“While lockdown and social distancing have no doubt resulted in fewer people accessing their GP and A&E because they may be worried about contracting the virus, we would urge you not to delay seeking help. We remain open and ready to treat you.

“Anyone who needs to be referred to hospital should attend their appointments. We have options such as virtual consultations for follow ups and reviews, which are working really well - but there are some procedures we need to deliver in person.

“We know things are different at the moment but we want everyone to be assured that we’re here for you and your safety and wellbeing will be our number one priority.”

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Sarah Woolnough, from Cancer Research UK, said the national statistics are “hugely concerning”, and thousands of patients are now in a backlog needing cancer care.

“It’s devastating to see the impact that Covid-19 is having on cancer patients and these figures show just how much the virus has affected cancer waiting times,” she said.

She said there had been some indication since April that patients are starting to contact their GPs again for telephone and online appointments.