This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25274287

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Many GP cancer referrals too slow, NHS England data suggests Many cancer patients 'not referred to specialist by GP'
(about 9 hours later)
Thousands of people who go on to be diagnosed with cancer are not being referred to specialists quickly enough by GPs, NHS England figures suggest. Thousands of people who go on to be diagnosed with cancer were not referred to a specialist by their GP.
Under NHS targets, 95% of people with suspected cancer should be seen by a specialist within two weeks. NHS England data from around 4,000 GP practices suggests symptoms were picked up in other ways, for example in accident and emergency departments.
But the data indicates that this target was missed in more than half of the 4,000 GP surgeries sampled. The NHS said not all cancer patients went to their GPs and the figures were not a clear measure of performance.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government was tackling the "unacceptable variation". Patients who do go to their GP with cancer symptoms are seen within two weeks in 95% of cases, the NHS said.
NHS England said the figures were not a clear measure of performance, as some patients did not have obvious symptoms. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government was tackling the "unacceptable variation" across different practices.
National performance data allows patients to look up their GP surgery and see how it performs against dozens of diagnosis and treatment indicators.National performance data allows patients to look up their GP surgery and see how it performs against dozens of diagnosis and treatment indicators.
NHS England collected the figures on cancer referral rates from GP surgeries across the country as part of a drive to make the health service more transparent.NHS England collected the figures on cancer referral rates from GP surgeries across the country as part of a drive to make the health service more transparent.
'Transparency applauded''Transparency applauded'
Early diagnosis is seen as the most important factor in tackling cancer. The NHS has a target that 95% of patients with suspected cancer should be seen by a specialist within two weeks - a target it says is consistently met.
In 59% of the GP practices sampled, fewer than half the patients subsequently found to have the disease had been referred to a specialist within the two-week target. But in around half of the GP practices sampled, fewer than 50% of patients on their books who were subsequently found to have the disease were referred to a specialist by their doctor.
In one in six surgeries, doctors are said to have failed to make an urgent referral in at least two thirds of these cases. Sean Duffy from NHS England said: "We know that early diagnosis is the single most important factor in cancer survival, and that's why patients who visit their GP with 'red flag' symptoms like very persistent coughs, blood in urine or faeces or breast lumps should always be referred for further tests on two-week pathways.
And in some practices, only one in 10 patients later found to have cancer had been referred within the target time. "But not all patients visit their GP about these symptoms and others may have cancer without developing specific symptoms.
Stuart Barber, from Beating Bowel Cancer, said it was "intolerable" that patients were having to wait. "These patients will therefore have their cancer diagnosed after going to a hospital as an emergency, or have it spotted incidentally while receiving treatment for another, unrelated issue."
He said: "GPs have the tools. There are clear symptoms, there is a clear screening programme and if a patient visits their doctor with what are symptoms of bowel cancer they should have the confidence they are going to be referred quickly." Rigorous inspection regime
'Red flag signals' Stuart Barber, from Beating Bowel Cancer, said it was "intolerable" that some patients were having to wait.
But Sean Duffy from NHS England told the BBC the figures could not be used as a simple measure of GP performance because not all cancer patients would have visited their doctors with clear symptoms. "GPs have the tools. There are clear symptoms, there is a clear screening programme and if a patient visits their doctor with what are symptoms of bowel cancer they should have the confidence they are going to be referred quickly," he said.
And Dr Mike Bewick, deputy medical director at NHS England, told the Daily Telegraph some signs of cancer, including tiredness, or weight loss, were more difficult for GPs to interpret than more obvious "red flag" signals such as passing blood or a persistent cough. Mr Hunt said: "Every single patient in the NHS has the right to the very best care - and to see a GP who can spot cancer symptoms early enough to make a difference.
But he added that some of the poor results on cancer referrals were "not acceptable".
"I hope this transparency will be applauded and used as a tool to ensure better outcomes," he said, calling on GPs with very low rates of urgent referral for cancer to look closely at their performance.
Jeremy Hunt said: "Every single patient in the NHS has the right to the very best care - and to see a GP who can spot cancer symptoms early enough to make a difference.
"That's why we've introduced a rigorous new inspection regime for GP surgeries.""That's why we've introduced a rigorous new inspection regime for GP surgeries."
Under the regime, a new chief inspector will rate each surgery so the government can take action against those "not up to scratch", he said. Under the regime, a new chief inspector would rate each surgery so the government could take action against those "not up to scratch", he said.