HEALTH chiefs have been monitoring cancer services in East Lancashire after dozens of patients had to wait more than two months for their treatment to start.

Official statistics for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust showed only 83 per cent of cancer patients were treated within 62 days, during the last three months of 2014. This was the fifth worst percentage in the North West, and below the 85 per cent target.

MORE TOP STORIES:

It meant 45 patients waited longer than 62 days, with 18 of them waiting more than 90 days, or three months.

There were particular problems with treating patients for gastrointestinal and testicular cancer, with performance on these conditions at 67 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively.

Commissioners have been monitoring the situation, and an ‘escalation policy’ and various actions appear to have addressed the problems, with the overall performance back above 85 per cent in January.

According to board papers published by NHS commissioners, the trust had argued that patient choice was one reason for the breaches, as there “appears to be a reluctance from patients to attend the unit at the Burnley site”.

Juliette Mottram, cancer services manager at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said in a statement: “The trust is acutely aware that providing prompt access to NHS cancer treatment and care is extremely important to patients, at a particularly anxious time.

“While we acknowledge that the trust failed to reach the national cancer waiting time standard during one month last year (November), this is extremely unusual as in every other month we achieved the 62-day target.

“We await the final figures but anticipate our cancer waiting time performance for the 12-month period from April 2014 to March 2015 to be over 86 per cent, higher than the national standard.”

The trust was asked why performance was so poor for gastrointestinal and urological cancers, but did not provide an explanation.

Mrs Mottram added: “For example, some patients are unable to begin treatment because they have complex medical conditions while others choose to delay treatment while they wait to attend another hospital of their choosing.

“When the 62-day target is not achieved, a lead consultant and senior members of the cancer team analyse each breach.”