The system is too slow. New data reveals that missed "waiting time" targets are hiding the true, deadly cost of cancer care.


 A critical new analysis argues that current targets for cancer treatment waiting times are failing patients and obscuring the true extent of delays. The report highlights that arbitrary benchmarks such as the 62 day target from referral to treatment are frequently missed and do not account for the increasing complexity of modern cancer care. Patients requiring multiple diagnostic tests often face much longer waits that are not accurately reflected in official data. These delays are not merely administrative nuisances they significantly increase the risk of mortality. 

The authors contend that simply setting stricter targets is ineffective without addressing the underlying lack of resources. Instead they call for a national learning system driven by data and collaboration to identify bottlenecks in real time and prioritize patients based on clinical urgency rather than outdated metrics.

Read the original article at: http://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s14.short?rss=1


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