The BBC has reported that the NHS in England missed the target of treating 85% of cancer patients within 2 months (62 days) for all 4 quarters of 2014.
Analysis by Macmillan Cancer Support has shown that the UK is about 10 years behind leading European nations in terms of cancer five-year survival rates.
A key problem is that many patients typically present llater than elsewhere. This may be due to the operation of our otherwise efficient and effective GP gatekeeper system. A GP sees on average 8 cancer patients per year. As other causes of death decline cancer is becoming a more prevalent condition and early diagnosis and effective treatment is becoming ever more urgent.