MORE than 18 per cent of cancer patients in Worcestershire have waited longer than 62 days since being referred by their GP for treatment in the past 12 months.

Figures released by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust this week showed 18.9 per cent of cancer patients waited longer than the NHS-mandated period for treatment, including 19.4 per cent last month.

Although the trust – which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital – did achieve its target of treating at least 96 per cent of patients within 31 days of a confirmed cancer diagnosis in October, overall across the last 12 months it is slightly below this figure.

Speaking at a meeting of the trust’s board on Wednesday, November 26, chief operating officer Stewart Messer said overall October had been a “strong” month, but he was disappointed the 62-day target had not been achieved.

But he said a number of the patients who had waited longer than 62 days had done so as their condition was too complex to treat quickly.

“But in 18 per cent of cases we could be better,” he said. “That equates to six patients this month.

“This is what we are focusing on.

“Some of the breaches are patient choice such as when a patient decided to defer their treatment.”

As part of the trust’s efforts to improve the figures it has arranged for a two-day visit from an NHS Intensive Support Team – groups of healthcare experts helping health bodies improve their performance – in December.

Mr Messer is also holding weekly meetings with key members of the trust’s cancer team to monitor the situation and identify any specific problems.

Deputy chief executive Chris Tidman said it was difficult to determine how the problem could be rectified.

“One response would be to just have more and more hospital beds, but that’s just not doable,” he said.

Overall the trust’s performance in terms of the 31 per cent target has hovered around the 96 per cent level over the past 12 months, but the organisation has frequently struggled to meet the 62-day target, only achieving the target in four months in the last year.

To view the trust’s reports for the past year visit www.worcsacute.nhs.uk.