Research Highlights Concerns Over Care

Action must be taken to improve the speed at which teenage cancer patients are diagnosed, according to a clinical negligence specialist at Irwin Mitchell.

New research from the Teenage Cancer Trust has revealed that a quarter of young patients had to visit their GP at least four times before being referred to a cancer specialist, with three in five believing their diagnosis could be quicker.

Perhaps most concerning, it also revealed that a fifth of patients were not referred to a specialist despite a number of them showing at least two of the most common symptoms of cancer.

Mandy Luckman, an expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office who specialises in providing advice on medical negligence claims, said: “This new research raises fundamental concerns over the quality of care that a number of young people struggling with cancer receive.

“While the NHS does much excellent work, we represent a number of people who have had inadequate care and have repeatedly called for improvements in standards that will ensure the safety of patients always comes first – regardless of the health problems they face.

“Hopefully the NHS can use this research as a starting point from which they can look to make improvements to teenage cancer services and ensure that no further patients suffer in the same manner in the future.”