As per the latest data from NHS, a record number of population has been approaching for cancer tests with around one-fourth of a million referrals in a single month. The figures throw light on the fact that 246,000 patients checked for cancer alone in November, which is thrice as much as compared to the start of the pandemic in April 2020.
The chiefs from NHS are now literally requesting people who show worrying signs not to shadow the vital checks and come forward like the hundreds and thousands of people every month.
As per past research, it was found out that during the time when COVID-19 had hit, almost 49% of people were of an opinion that they would not come forward for a test as the idea was not to overburden the health service, which was already under a lot of duress.
As per monthly figures, nine in every ten people received their first treatment just in a month’s time, which is a standard that hasn’t slipped less than 90% since the time the pandemic began. This is despite the fact that NHS was treating more than half a million COVID patients and was also in the process of delivering 114 million jabs. According to the National Cancer Director at NHS in England, Dame Cally, they are going forward faster than ever in order to catch more cancers at an early stage to save more lives.
Be it the rapid triage or cancer symptom hotlines, the staff at NHF are working hard to make sure that those coming forward for checks can rapidly be diagnosed, thereby catching cancer at an early stage itself and getting rid of it. Notably, NHS has gone the extra mile to continue cancer treatment, and since March 2020, more than 4 million people have been referred to and more than half a million have already begun their treatment.
Some of the common symptoms of cancer are diarrhea which lasts for three weeks or more, weight loss, and fatigue which is unexplained as well as new lumps or bumps. Peter Johnson, who is NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer in England, opines that when the pandemic first emerged, the patient number saw a dramatic drop as people avoided tests due to the fear of the virus or because they did not want to test the already burdened NHS, but he adds that its vital that people come forward. The NHS has been operating cancer care throughout the pandemic, and that will remain the same. He urges people to come forward if they have a persistent cough that isn’t COVID or prolonged discomfort in the abdomen as they are ready to see and treat them.
The team at NHS has put up a range of measures like COVID infection protected cancer hubs for surgery and also treatments that are COVID friendly which impact less on the immune system of a patient. It was last year in 2021 itself that NHS had come up with an investment of £20 million to escalate the cancer diagnosis in order to ensure that people get checks that are life-saving.
NHS has plans to catch three-quarters of cancers much early for easier treatment than the present numbers that are half.
