Quality of cancer care being hit by staff shortages

SHORTAGES of personnel in the cancer workforce are limiting capacity and impairing the quality of service to patients, according to the Government’s new cancer strategy.

The National Cancer Control Strategy, launched yesterday, warned: “Shortages can result in delayed treatment, disruption of referral patterns and interference with multidisciplinary programmes of clinical care, education and research.”

It said many elements of the cancer control system were operating at present with reduced staffing.