Trust forced to review cancer waiting times after Ombudsman investigation
An NHS trust has launched a systemic review into its cancer care after a rebuke from the Ombudsman who found a 67-year-old woman died while facing long waits for diagnosis and treatment.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigated the care of a retired history teacher and mother-of-two from Chelmsford, who had terminal ovarian cancer and died in April 2023.
The report triggered by a complaint from her son found her diagnosis had taken 49 days and treatment did not start for 81 days after referral.
She had first visited her GP in January 2023 due to uncomfortable abdominal bloating and, after concerning blood test results, was referred.
A CT scan in February showed the presence of cancer but clinicians could not identify the type of cancer until a biopsy in March.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on 21 March and advised that while it was terminal, chemotherapy may extend her life.
This was scheduled for a month later but by the time treatment was available she was no longer fit enough to have it, the report said.
In addition, she was not provided with access to the palliative care pathway at the time of her diagnosis, which delayed her access to this care.
After her son complained about his mother’s treatment, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said that it had improved its performance on cancer wait times but the investigation by the PHSO found the Trust’s performance against its treatment targets had in fact declined.
At the time she was waiting for care, 47.6% of patients were treated within 62 days, compared to the national target of 85%, the PHSO said.
By July 2025, that had dropped to 46.1%. At the end of August, 664 patients were waiting longer than 62 days to confirm a cancer diagnosis, or rule it out, and begin treatment, the report added.
The PHSO found the trust had not acknowledged the extent of its failings or taken appropriate action to address them.
It prompted the ‘unusual step’ of asking the trust to review its performance against national targets and develop a ‘robust plan’ to address its waiting times.
In response the trust said it was committed to look at how it can better allocate resources and increase capacity, including using specialist software to analyse cancer pathways and identify delays.
It has also introduced weekly meetings to track progress and ensure the longest waiting patients are prioritised.
And it has introduced a ‘one-stop menopausal bleeding clinic’ to provide scans and a consultant review at the first appointment, the Ombudsman noted.
An analysis in November by BBC Verify found barely any hospital trusts were meeting NHS waiting time targets for cancer treatment.
NHS England figures over the past year showed that only three trusts out of 121 hit the 62-day target for starting cancer treatment.
PHSO Paula Sussex said it was vital patients can trust the system to deliver the quality treatment they need for their survival, recovery, or, in terminal conditions, to allow them to spend precious time with loved ones.
‘I am aware that the trust has faced organisational challenges that exacerbated pressures brought by the pandemic, and they have worked to find an effective operating model, including leadership changes and a new programme to better listen to frontline voices.’
She added that the case highlights how one complaint can make a difference.
‘Because of this investigation, other patients and families should experience wait times that are in line with national guidance.’
Dawn Scrafield, chief executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, offered sincere apologies to the family.
‘Demand has increased, and we are reviewing how we manage the need for more diagnostic services.
‘We have begun an integrated improvement plan, working with our health and care system partners to speed up treatment times and get patients to the right place at the right time.
‘We have invested in new technologies to help us treat cancer faster and have recently opened new a Community Diagnostic Centre in Thurrock, which is improving access to scans and diagnostic tests.’
NICE is currently consulting on a new guideline proposing new age thresholds to guide GP referral for further ovarian cancer investigation, in a bid to improve early diagnosis.
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