Posted 21 April 2017 - 09:19
Posted 21 April 2017 - 09:19
News
Survey finds poor breast cancer care due to specialist nurse shortage
People with incurable breast cancer are receiving poor care due to a lack of specialist nurses, according to a new report.
People with incurable breast cancer are receiving poor care due to a lack of specialist nurses, according to a new report.
breast cancer in the UK. Picture: Getty
A study for Breast Cancer Care found that just a fifth of NHS organisations have one or more clinical nurse specialists dedicated to people whose cancer has returned and spread.
Advanced cancer, when breast cancer cells spread from the breast to other parts of the body, is incurable, but some people can live for several years with treatment.
There are an estimated 36,000 people living with this type of secondary breast cancer in the UK and each year about 11,600 die from the disease.
It has been mandatory since 2013 for NHS trusts to collect data on how many women have advanced breast cancer, but only a third do so.
Insufficient specialist care
The new study of NHS hospitals and health boards across England, Scotland and Wales, found that 76% agree there is not enough specialist nursing care for people with incurable breast cancer.
Some 95% of people first diagnosed with breast cancer are given access to a named clinical nurse specialist.
But only 21% of NHS organisations had a specialist nurse dedicated to those whose cancer has advanced and is incurable.
A further 33% had a nurse who looked after patients both with incurable cancer and those who were newly-diagnosed.
'Not good enough'
Some 40% had nurses whose main job involved newly-diagnosed patients but who also did some work with patients who had advanced cancer.
Overall, 47% of trusts said their nurses spent less than a quarter of their time with people who had incurable breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Care chief executive Samia al Qadhi said: 'These findings highlight the worrying truth: that care for people with incurable secondary breast cancer is not good enough.
'Our survey revealed nurses often lack crucial training to coordinate the complex care and treatment, help people manage often debilitating pain or have conversations about dying.
Right services
'And it is outrageous that even though specialist nursing can dramatically improve quality of life for women and men with incurable breast cancer, so many do not have a nurse they can count on for essential support.'
The charity is calling on NHS clinical commissioning groups and health boards to ensure specialist nursing care is available for all patients with incurable breast cancer and that the right breast cancer services are in place in their hospitals to meet patient needs.
An NHS England spokesperson said: 'Evidence shows that access to a cancer nurse specialist or other key worker supports a positive patient experience.
'We are working closely with others across the NHS to agree the best way to widen access to specialist support for all people living with cancer, including those living with secondary breast cancer, as part of our plans to transform cancer services across the board.'
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