The NHS trusts cancer patients with the best chance of surviving on their last legs and chemotherapy rations
- Hospital rationing chemotherapy to cancer patients due to staff shortage
- NHS Trust says it must prioritize patients with the best chance of survival
- The oncologist said he could not offer palliative chemotherapy aimed at prolonging life
Hospitals should ration chemotherapy to cancer patients with the best chance of survival.
The NHS Trust (NUH) of the University Hospitals of Nottingham, one of the largest in the UK, said staff shortages meant that some patients with advanced diagnoses had to be denied treatment.
Treatment was delayed by 49 on Thursday because 30 percent fewer specialist nurses were available than needed for full service.
Oncologist dr. Lucy Gossage wrote in a blog post: “We currently do not have the human resources to provide chemotherapy to all of our patients, so the priority list has been in effect for the first time.
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University Hospital of Nottingham NHS Trust (NUH) must ration chemotherapy to cancer patients with the best chance of survival due to staff shortages (pictured)
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“We cannot offer chemotherapy that aims to prolong the lives of people with advanced cancer or to relieve symptoms. We hope this is very temporary, but it shows the system is on its last legs.
“As oncologists, we’re not used to apologizing for broken systems – and we do that every day. It’s okay. Our patient is not doing well. We’re not okay. ‘
Last night NUH said it was trying to fill a vacancy and hoped to be able to offer chemotherapy to anyone who needs it next month.
A spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph that he hopes to “resume chemotherapy for every patient who needs it in October”.
The spokesman said vacancies and long-term personal illness had contributed to the crisis and hiring was ongoing.
Oncologist dr. Lucy Gossage writes that she cannot offer chemotherapy aimed at prolonging life or relieving symptoms (stock photo)
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“We continue to offer chemotherapy to patients who benefit the most from treatment, and a small number of affected patients have been contacted and supported directly by their team of cancer specialists,” he said.
The warning follows a report predicting that even if oncology departments increased the number of patients they treat by 5 percent, it would take more than a decade to complete the backlog.
Experts estimate that 19,500 people are living with undiagnosed cancer due to the pandemic.
In March last year, Britain’s NHS authorized hospitals to ration cancer services to patients with the greatest chance of survival when the system was overwhelmed by Covid.
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