New report highlights treatment discrepancy
Care for prostate cancer patients is lagging behind
When the National Audit Office published ‘Tackling Cancer: Improving the Patient Journey’ in February 2005, it confirmed what we at The Prostate Cancer Charity have known for some time – that the NHS experience of men with prostate cancer is the worst of all patients with common cancers.
According to the NAO report, prostate cancer patients are less likely to understand what they are told, twice as likely to have no discussion with health professionals, and likely to need more information on their treatment. Also, prostate cancer patients were twice as likely to receive inadequate assistance with pain relief. The following areas were highlighted as being of major concern:
- Patients with prostate cancer are less likely to understand what they are told by their hospital or doctor.
- Patients with prostate cancer have to wait longer than any other cancer patients for treatment after referral.
- Prostate cancer patients are most likely to see deterioration in their condition as they wait for treatment.
John Neate, our Chief Executive, is calling for urgent action to redress this imbalance. Over the coming months, we will be highlighting the National Audit Office’s recommendations that health authorities should provide the necessary resources to support NHS cancer networks. This will ensure that everyone involved in a patient’s care, from the GP and local hospitals to specialist Cancer Centres, are able to work together to give patients the best diagnosis, information and support possible.
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