THE lack of criteria for how long patients with red flag cancer symptoms have to wait to be seen in hospital needs to be addressed to prevent future deaths, an assistant coroner has said.
It follows an inquest into the death of a woman who was urgently referred by her GP after presenting with symptoms and initial tests – and was told she had to wait six-to-eight weeks for a colonoscopy at Jersey General Hospital.
While it was heard in her individual case a “more expedient” appointment was not likely to have made a difference as she had a hard to diagnose and treat rectal cancer, the assistant coroner, Dr Deryn Evans, said something still needs to be done.
To “ensure any other people are seen in a more expedient way”, she said she will write a prevention of future deaths report – which requires recipients to respond within a certain timeframe outlining what actions they have taken.
The report will highlight the unacceptable delay in being offered an appointment by the Hospital given her symptoms and results of preliminary investigations – and the difference in standards in Jersey and the UK.
In England, there is a “faster diagnosis” standard, which stipulates that patients with suspected cancer symptoms who are urgently referred should be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days – but there is no equivalent to this on the Island.
In her summary, the assistant coroner added that she’d like to express her condolences to the family, “for the suffering this caused and suboptimal care that contributed to suffering and distress”.
During the inquest, the family – who gave evidence – raised several questions about a series of alleged failings by the Hospital regarding their loved one’s diagnosis, treatment and care.
But the assistant coroner said these matters would have to be addressed elsewhere, as the inquest only focused on certain facts, such as cause of death, which in this case was a rare reaction to her immunotherapy treatment.
A Health and Care Jersey spokesperson said they’d like to express their sincere condolences to the family – and that “it would not be appropriate” for them to comment on the specifics of the case as the matter relates to an inquest and individual care.
They added that the HCJ recognises that “timely access to diagnostic, including endoscopy, is extremely important for patients and their families”. They added: “Work is underway to increase capacity, improve pathways and reduce waits across key services.
“Improving access to diagnostics remains a priority within our wider improvement programme, and we continue to work closely with our clinical teams to make sustained progress.”
