British public losing confidence in NHS’s ability to provide timely cancer care

The Royal College of GPs are urging patients not to attempt to treat medical conditions at home after a survey found that 7% of Brits have tried to remove a mole on themselves or someone else.

The survey, which was commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, is based on responses from 2,185 members of the public.

It also found that more than half (52%) of Brits are not confident they would be seen by a cancer specialist two months following a referral, with only 40% confident they would. The target is that you should not wait more than 28 days from referral.

One in 10 self-diagnosed a lump or mole using Google

People were also asked if they had taken any special actions over potential cancer symptoms because they thought it would take too long to see a GP.

The survey found that one in eight (13%) people ignored a suspicious lump or mole because they thought it would take too long to see a GP about it. Of the remaining participants:

• 21% said they had called NHS 111
• 11% self-diagnosed a lump or mole using the internet
• 8% went straight to A&E to have it looked at
• 8% paid privately to get it checked
• 54% said they had done none of the above.

People putting their own health at risk

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats said it is “shocking to see how badly people’s faith in their local health services has been broken”.

Davey blames the Conservative government for this drop in confidence, and says it is concerning that people are putting “their own health at risk by ignoring possible cancer symptoms.”

“Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer is vital for improving someone’s survival, but these statistics show that some people have lost confidence that they will get it.

“GPs and their staff are seeing more patients than ever before but community services are buckling under the strain,” he added.

Davey says the Lib Dems have a plan to retain “thousands of GPs” so everyone can access help and referrals when they need them. The party also has a ‘Cancer Rescue Plan’ so people can then get the cancer care they need.

Anyone who is concerned they may symptoms of cancer should contact their GP

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) says the College shares their patients’ frustrations, but it is not the fault of “hard-pressed GPs” that patients are struggling to access appointments.

“We no longer have enough GPs to meet demand,” she said. “Every GP in England is now responsible for 2,300 patients and this is unsustainable.”

“General practice has been allowed to decline for well over a decade, with the result that more GPs are leaving the profession than are entering it. The Government must come up with urgent solutions for the sake of our patients and the hardworking and dedicated doctors who are burning out due to workload pressures.

“As well as recruiting and training more GPs, we need to see a fully funded national retention scheme and measures to cut the amount of time that GPs have to spend on bureaucracy when they want to be caring for their patients.”

Professor Hawthorne is now urging patients not to attempt to treat conditions like suspected cancer (i.e. removing moles) from their own homes, as this can have “very serious medical implications.”

“Anyone who is concerned that they may potentially have symptoms of cancer should contact their GP. Despite the significant pressures they’re under daily, our hard-working GPs will always try to ensure their patients receive timely and appropriate care,” she said.