Colonoscopies can be vital to detecting bowel cancer – but some Cumbria patients are waiting months to have them carried out, the News & Star discovered.
Dame Deborah James’ death from bowel cancer just weeks ago shone the national spotlight on the life-threatening disease.
Known as ‘Bowelbabe’ to her followers, the campaigner dedicated the final months of her life to raising awareness of bowel cancer, the second biggest cancer killer in the UK.
She is among thousands who die from the disease each year – but if found early, bowel cancer can often be successfully treated.
Dame Deborah James died from bowel cancer
Colonoscopies are internal, endoscopic examinations that can help to detect bowel cancer and other conditions.
More than 500 patients in Cumbria were on NHS waiting lists for the procedure in April, the most recent data available.
Read more: Do you know the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer?
That’s down from more than 1,200 the year before – but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.
N&S analysis of NHS statistics shows more than half had waited more than a month for the procedure – and 162 had lingered on waiting lists more than 13 weeks.
Under NHS rules, patients should wait no more than six weeks, but 252 people – nearly half of the list - had waited longer, according to the latest figures.
However, the situation has improved significantly on April 2021, when more than three-quarters of the waiting list had been waiting too long.
Nationally, colonoscopy lists have increased by 28% since April 2020, with experts saying the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to the problem.
Bowel Cancer UK’s chief executive Genevieve Edwards said NHS staff worked hard to keep cancer services going, but added: “The severe disruption over the last two years has led to too many people waiting for crucial tests for bowel cancer.
“This can have devastating consequences.”
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She said staff shortages and a lack of capacity in endoscopy services – under which colonoscopies fall – were barriers to improving bowel cancer outcomes.
The charity called on the Government to provide urgent investment to boost the NHS workforce, provide new equipment and bring waiting times under control.
The Northern Cancer Alliance said an endoscopy network now operating across the North East and North Cumbria is bringing services together to address workforce issues and optimise services.
The NCA’s spokeswoman said increased use of faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) was helping to get “the right people to the right tests” despite delays in colonoscopies.
She said effective use of FITs - which rule out the need for colonoscopies in some cases - helped to make the best use of available resources.
The NCA also said alternatives to colonoscopies – such as a current pilot scheme that sees patients swallow miniature cameras - could help to ease demand.
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