Millions in UK miss cancer screenings, tests and treatments due to Covid-19

[Skymonster]

moderator note : posts #1-#2 originally in this thread:

Sleep during lockdown

Per Yorkie's suggestion on the 'remote working' thread ( https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/remote-working-preferences-in-the-longer-term.203448/page-2#post-4537518 ) - it was suggested that not having to commute provides us with the opportunity to get a bit more sleep in. Maybe it's the...

www.railforums.co.uk

If we don't start getting our lives back on track its not a second wave of covid we need to be worried about, but a tsunami of health problems right through society for years to come.

Already happening - here's just one example...

Millions in UK miss cancer screenings, tests and treatments due to Covid-19

More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed according to Cancer Research UK

www.theguardian.com

Summary of content:

• Almost 2.5 million Britons have not been screened, tested or treated for cancer
• More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed
• 2.1 million people across the UK waiting to undergo screening for breast, bowel or cervical cancer
• 12,750 fewer cancer patients have had surgery, 6,000 fewer have received chemotherapy and 2,800 fewer have undergone radiotherapy
• Delays to diagnosis and treatment could mean that some cancers will become inoperable
• Britain is now facing a “ticking timebomb” of cancers that have gone undetected during the pandemic

Coupled with all the other fallout from the lockdown (suicides, mental health problems), the long term effects stand to be far worse that the virus. But sadly the government, the science and the public are unwilling to think long-term right now.

 

[Bantamzen]

Already happening - here's just one example...

Millions in UK miss cancer screenings, tests and treatments due to Covid-19

More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed according to Cancer Research UK

www.theguardian.com

Summary of content:

• Almost 2.5 million Britons have not been screened, tested or treated for cancer
• More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed
• 2.1 million people across the UK waiting to undergo screening for breast, bowel or cervical cancer
• 12,750 fewer cancer patients have had surgery, 6,000 fewer have received chemotherapy and 2,800 fewer have undergone radiotherapy
• Delays to diagnosis and treatment could mean that some cancers will become inoperable
• Britain is now facing a “ticking timebomb” of cancers that have gone undetected during the pandemic

Coupled with all the other fallout from the lockdown (suicides, mental health problems), the long term effects stand to be far worse that the virus. But sadly the government, the science and the public are unwilling to think long-term right now.

Yes, I'd seen that and it is quite shocking. I dread to think what the consequences will be in the longer term.

 

[MikeWM]

Britain is now facing a “ticking timebomb” of cancers that have gone undetected during the pandemic
Coupled with all the other fallout from the lockdown (suicides, mental health problems), the long term effects stand to be far worse that the virus. But sadly the government, the science and the public are unwilling to think long-term right now.

And it will get worse, because the people (who haven't died prematurely from missed diagnoses) will be presenting later, so needing more treatment. The backlog of surgery will take years to clear. The NHS will be totally overloaded for years to come, and as such will be missing catching other illnesses early during that time too - a vicious circle that we may never get out of.

Quite frankly, the actions of the Government over the last few months become more and more baffling the more you think about it. We've either got the weakest, most blinkered, hopeless 'leaders' we've ever been stuck with, or for some mysterious reason they actively want to inflict misery, illness, and social and economic ruin on the country.

 

[underbank]

My OH has been severely affected by this. In the middle of cancer treatment mid March which was abruptly stopped by a phone call from a receptionist on the morning scheduled for chemo. Waited 2/3 weeks for a call to say when it would start again, but radio silence. Started phoning the oncology dept but they were closed, not even answering their own phone calls which were being diverted to some kind of centralised call centre. Promised call backs never materialised. Phoned weekly at first and then twice weekly, all with the same effect. Finally, last month, managed to speak to a receptionist at oncology - apparently they'd opened the dept again but it wasn't seeing any patients nor doing any treatments! Managed to speak to a specialist nurse last week and they've now booked in for a blood test mid July and are "hoping" to start treatment again in August. It's crazy. This treatment was urgent back in March. NHS managers need to be held accountable for this. You really can't just close down the NHS for months "to save the NHS" - it's nonsense. I can understand a temporary closure of a week or two to re-arrange, cancel non urgent things, redraft staff rotas to cope with those off sick etc., but it really shouldn't have been allowed to carry on for months. And then the NHS has the nerve to start "victim blaming" and saying it's patients refusing to attend - rubbish - they can't be allowed to get away with that kind of reverse blame when it was GP surgeries and hospital depts which closed their doors and diverted calls to call centres or 111.

 

[MrTurbostar170]

Right, so whose lives are we saving with the lockdown?

 

[Skymonster]

We've either got the weakest, most blinkered, hopeless 'leaders' we've ever been stuck with, or for some mysterious reason they actively want to inflict misery, illness, and social and economic ruin on the country.

Boris knows he won't be re-elected - he will be out either because of his handling of the virus, or the catastrophic collapse in the economy which will result in more austerity and higher taxes. So he's doing what makes him look good in the short term, and that is dealing with the virus, and not paying too much attention to the longer term ramifications.

 

[Skymonster]

My OH has been severely affected by this. In the middle of cancer treatment mid March which was abruptly stopped by a phone call from a receptionist on the morning scheduled for chemo. Waited 2/3 weeks for a call to say when it would start again, but radio silence. Started phoning the oncology dept but they were closed, not even answering their own phone calls which were being diverted to some kind of centralised call centre. Promised call backs never materialised. Phoned weekly at first and then twice weekly, all with the same effect. Finally, last month, managed to speak to a receptionist at oncology - apparently they'd opened the dept again but it wasn't seeing any patients nor doing any treatments! Managed to speak to a specialist nurse last week and they've now booked in for a blood test mid July and are "hoping" to start treatment again in August. It's crazy. This treatment was urgent back in March. NHS managers need to be held accountable for this. You really can't just close down the NHS for months "to save the NHS" - it's nonsense. I can understand a temporary closure of a week or two to re-arrange, cancel non urgent things, redraft staff rotas to cope with those off sick etc., but it really shouldn't have been allowed to carry on for months. And then the NHS has the nerve to start "victim blaming" and saying it's patients refusing to attend - rubbish - they can't be allowed to get away with that kind of reverse blame when it was GP surgeries and hospital depts which closed their doors and diverted calls to call centres or 111.

So sorry to read all of that underbank - you and your OH really deserve much better.

 

[Tetchytyke]

This treatment was urgent back in March. NHS managers need to be held accountable for this. You really can't just close down the NHS for months "to save the NHS" - it's nonsense.

I'm really sorry to hear about what you're going through. And yes, it is completely arse over tit.

My OH works for the hospice, and has seen patients she's working with have their oncology treatment stop "because it weakens the immune system, so Covid is too big a risk for us to treat them". Hmm. Maybe, but not doing oncology treatment has a bigger risk.

I get the immediate stoppage- who knew how many staff would be needed to man A&E- but it is months down the line now and it's not right.

 

[yorkie]

My OH works for the hospice, and has seen patients she's working with have their oncology treatment stop "because it weakens the immune system, so Covid is too big a risk for us to treat them". Hmm. Maybe, but not doing oncology treatment has a bigger risk.

I agree, but a significant number of people are not being rational when it comes to apportioning risk at the current time (I could give many other examples of this, but don't want to go off topic!)

It seems that reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus has become the absolute number 1 priority for several people with absolutely no consideration given for the impact of such decisions. I think it all stems from how powerful the orignal 'stay home, stay safe' message was, plus hysterical media reporting.

 

[Bantamzen]

My OH has been severely affected by this. In the middle of cancer treatment mid March which was abruptly stopped by a phone call from a receptionist on the morning scheduled for chemo. Waited 2/3 weeks for a call to say when it would start again, but radio silence. Started phoning the oncology dept but they were closed, not even answering their own phone calls which were being diverted to some kind of centralised call centre. Promised call backs never materialised. Phoned weekly at first and then twice weekly, all with the same effect. Finally, last month, managed to speak to a receptionist at oncology - apparently they'd opened the dept again but it wasn't seeing any patients nor doing any treatments! Managed to speak to a specialist nurse last week and they've now booked in for a blood test mid July and are "hoping" to start treatment again in August. It's crazy. This treatment was urgent back in March. NHS managers need to be held accountable for this. You really can't just close down the NHS for months "to save the NHS" - it's nonsense. I can understand a temporary closure of a week or two to re-arrange, cancel non urgent things, redraft staff rotas to cope with those off sick etc., but it really shouldn't have been allowed to carry on for months. And then the NHS has the nerve to start "victim blaming" and saying it's patients refusing to attend - rubbish - they can't be allowed to get away with that kind of reverse blame when it was GP surgeries and hospital depts which closed their doors and diverted calls to call centres or 111.

Its nothing like as serious as what is happening with your OH, but my wife's doctor has been trying to get an x-ray appointment booked for days as my wife has noticed a lump growing close to where she broke a collarbone last year. And this is after it took my wife a considerable while trying to ring through to the local surgery, which as it turns out is closed and so when the doctor taking her case asked her to go in my wife had to travel quite a bit further than she would normally have had to. And having heard nothing from the request for an x-ray appointment, the doctor eventually told my wife to head to the nearest A&E to get an x-ray, which by the way despite being the main A&E unit for Bradford, was very quiet. I dread to think what is happening to people that may well need the health service, but are afraid of going because they think they will kill someone, or worse have the lockivists shame them.

 

[LAX54]

moderator note : posts #1-#2 originally in this thread:

Sleep during lockdown

Per Yorkie's suggestion on the 'remote working' thread ( https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/remote-working-preferences-in-the-longer-term.203448/page-2#post-4537518 ) - it was suggested that not having to commute provides us with the opportunity to get a bit more sleep in. Maybe it's the...

www.railforums.co.uk

Already happening - here's just one example...

Millions in UK miss cancer screenings, tests and treatments due to Covid-19

More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed according to Cancer Research UK

www.theguardian.com

Summary of content:

• Almost 2.5 million Britons have not been screened, tested or treated for cancer
• More than 24,000 cases of cancer have gone undiagnosed
• 2.1 million people across the UK waiting to undergo screening for breast, bowel or cervical cancer
• 12,750 fewer cancer patients have had surgery, 6,000 fewer have received chemotherapy and 2,800 fewer have undergone radiotherapy
• Delays to diagnosis and treatment could mean that some cancers will become inoperable
• Britain is now facing a “ticking timebomb” of cancers that have gone undetected during the pandemic

Coupled with all the other fallout from the lockdown (suicides, mental health problems), the long term effects stand to be far worse that the virus. But sadly the government, the science and the public are unwilling to think long-term right now.

Indeed we could end with far more casualities than we have had with 'the' virus ! wonder who will get the blame for that ? 'The' Virus', what would we have done without Social Media and 24/7 News ?

 

[Enthusiast]

I said from the early days that we must beware that the cure does not end up causing more damage than the disease. As time went on it was obvious that was exactly what was going to happen. Economically it has already happened but with regards to people's health I believe that Covid will be the least of our worries if this goes on. The tale told by underbank is horrendous. I can understand so called "elective" surgery and other treatments being curtailed (though why anyone would "elect" to go under the knife makes the term seem a bit inappropriate). People can live with a painful knee or hip for a little longer, as unpleasant as it may be. But to cut short a patient's cancer treatment mid-flow is bordering on criminal.

Now we hear that dentists may not be able to open when they are permitted to do so on Monday week as they have not yet had time to be able to make the required adjustments to their surgeries to enable social distancing. Just what have they been doing for the past ten weeks?

 

[scotrail158713]

Now we hear that dentists may not be able to open when they are permitted to do so on Monday week as they have not yet had time to be able to make the required adjustments to their surgeries to enable social distancing. Just what have they been doing for the past ten weeks?

I can assure you they’ve not being twiddling their thumbs. I also can’t see how you can social distance at the dentist. However, from conversations I’ve had with my Mum who is a dentist, the issue seems to be getting PPE. For the last couple of weeks it has improved though, so hopefully some resemblance of a normal service can resume soon.

 

[Scrotnig]

As a society, we have decided that only deaths and health problems from Covid-19 are important.
Absolutely everything else has ceased to matter.
Cancer patients sent home to die, people with strokes/heart attacks advised not to attend A&E (well they were initially and that seems to have stuck), people told on pain of death to stay well away from hospitals, doctors surgeries took literally seconds from the start of all this to shut up shop completlye and refer everyone to NHS 111, dental patients having to pull their own teeth out, etc etc.

A lot of this is still going on and the long term public health consequences are going to be horrendous. And that's before you even look at mental health issues and immune system issues caused by locking people up in their houses with no family contact, people not being allowed to say goodbye to dying relatives, and the list just keeps getting longer.

We have intentionally wrecked the entire country and it will take decades to recover.

 

[underbank]

I can assure you they’ve not being twiddling their thumbs. I also can’t see how you can social distance at the dentist. However, from conversations I’ve had with my Mum who is a dentist, the issue seems to be getting PPE. For the last couple of weeks it has improved though, so hopefully some resemblance of a normal service can resume soon.

My sister had been a dental nurse for 35 years. She can't understand what the problem is. She remembers going through the Aids/HIV fears when they had to take precautions to protect themselves without disrupting services. She says they wear masks, gloves and eye protection for everything anyway - they're used to flying saliva, blood, bone fragments, etc. They disinfect the chair between patients anyway. They change gloves and masks between patients anyway. They wipe their eye protection regularly. They've a storeroom full of gloves, masks, eye protection and even several boxes of full face screens (which they already use for oral surgery, i.e. implants etc). The only thing she can think that's a problem is that they have "vulnerable" dentists who have basically not been seen since lockdown began (some BAME, some overweight, some asthmatics, some diabetics, some all 4!). So it looks to be more of a staff shortage than anything else (staff who are still being paid on furlough etc! so no wonder they're in no rush to get back in).

 

[Enthusiast]

...they're used to flying saliva, blood, bone fragments, etc.

Good grief! Is it a dentist your sister works in or an abattoir!!??

 

[yorkie]

An important message from Professor Karol Sikora (and a small selection of replies):

https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/status/1269206744644845573

I've had some heartbreaking messages from people who are too scared to get symptoms checked. If you listen to just one of my tweets let it be this one. If you have any symptoms- losing weight unexpectedly, blood in urine/poo, abdominal pains, unusual lumps. Please get checked.

I went yesterday, having an x-ray and blood tests Monday, I admit I've been scared for three weeks. Staff were very reassuring and kind. I was the only person in the clinic as well. Don't wait, don't self diagnose.

My brother had symptoms. He had an appointment within 2 weeks, a scan 2 days later and a blood test 2 days after that. Within 3 weeks of seeing his GP he was given the all clear. All done speedily and very safely. Get checked.

 

[Scrotnig]

An important message from Professor Karol Sikora (and a small selection of replies):

https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/status/1269206744644845573

All this is great if your doctors' surgery is still even partially functioning. Many are not.

Mine completely shut up shop within minutes of all this kicking off, and redirected its phone lines to NHS 111.
Presumably all the GPs are still being paid to sit around doing nothing, and I'm paying tax to fund a service I can't use and that isn't operating anyhow.

 

[MikeWM]

Not cancer, but here's a horrifying story about someone denied treatment in the early days of the lockdown.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...on-first-day-of-covid-19-lockdown-almost-died

A patient almost died after being misdiagnosed and sent home from hospital on the first day of the lockdown as the NHS curtailed many normal services to focus on Covid-19.

The NHS trust involved has admitted that its failings led to the man suffering excruciating pain, developing life-threatening blood poisoning, and contracting the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis. He needed eight operations to remedy the damage caused by his misdiagnosis.

The man, his wife and his GP spent three weeks after his discharge trying to get him urgent medical care. However, St Mary’s hospital on the Isle of Wight rejected repeated pleas by them for doctors to help him, even though his health was deteriorating sharply.

Necrotising fasciitis! Ugh.

As time goes on, all the horrors some of us were saying would be caused by the lockdown are going to emerge

 

[thejuggler]

Rather than blame 'lockdown' I'd prefer to call out the Government for not having a pandemic plan.

 

[takno]

Rather than blame 'lockdown' I'd prefer to call out the Government for not having a pandemic plan.

The government had a pandemic plan. They just got panicked into having a hideously destructive lockdown and disastrous curtailing of normal NHS services instead of following it. The blame for that lies with a hysterical press and a select few scientists willing to push dodgy dossiers predicting certain doom.

 

[37424]

The government had a pandemic plan. They just got panicked into having a hideously destructive lockdown and disastrous curtailing of normal NHS services instead of following it. The blame for that lies with a hysterical press and a select few scientists willing to push dodgy dossiers predicting certain doom.

But isn't that a case of being wise after the event, as in fairness to the government when this thing occured we were seeing images in Italy of their health service being overwhelmed and it was unclear what the mortality rate of the virus was at the time.

It seems clear to me the NHS doesn't have the capacity to deal with virus without substancially affecting other services, a friend of mines wife is an ICU nurse and was put on the covid ward for while she is now back in her normal department but she thinks there will be a second wave and will have to go back at some point. But the point is the staff for the covid ward had to come from somewhere they didn't materialise out of thin air and so other departments were always going to be affected.

The situation with cancer patients is difficult I am a cancer patient myself, I've been told by consultant to avoid hospital if at all possible. My current treatment is normally to go for a blood test at the hospital every 1 to 2 months and see my consultant, that has been changed to my GP taking a blood test and a then telephone appointment from my consultant but even that has proved difficult with my appointments being cancelled and then rescheduled a number of times.

 

[underbank]

I think the lockdown was necessary to protect the NHS as some people have said their hospitals were short staffed by up to 40% due to staff off sick and self isolating. That wasn't sustainable.
The problem has been that the NHS has been painfully slow to restore services and lack of communication. 3 weeks should have given them time to reorganise themselves. My OH was in the middle of cancer treatment which was cancelled. It's taken weeks of phone calls, literally dozens of calls, to get any information at all about when the treatment will re-start and even now, all we have is a blood test appointment in July as a starting point for the consultant to review if and when the treatment can start again, which they're "hoping" will be August. For the first two months, the entire oncology dept was closed and phone calls were being diverted to a call centre who just took messages.

 

[MikeWM]

Rather than blame 'lockdown' I'd prefer to call out the Government for not having a pandemic plan.

Certainly they ought to have a proper pandemic plan, and clearly they didn't (or didn't follow it, if they did). That's a truly dismal failure on the part of the government.

However, I'd also argue that a proper pandemic plan would avoid any need for a lockdown of the sort we've seen, for the healthy at least, except perhaps for truly horrific diseases, which on the whole this isn't remotely. (of course it can be in individual cases, but in pandemic terms this isn't especially remarkable).