Re-audit of radiotherapy waiting times 2003

There has been increasing concern, by clinical oncologists in the UK, about the continuing long waiting times for radiotherapy treatment. An audit of patients starting treatment in 1 week in 2003 was carried out to determine waiting times and to compare current results with those obtained from a similar audit in 1998.

All centres in the UK completed the audit, which recorded waiting-list status and treatment intent for all new treatments started in 1 week, date of booking form completion and fractionation scheme used.

Waiting times have lengthened in most centres for all categories of patients although, for palliative treatments, there was no additional increase in median waiting time compared with the last audit. Fewer patients in all categories are being treated within the Joint Collegiate Council for Oncology (JCCO) guidelines. Single-fraction treatments are now common for palliation. Most adjuvant treatment uses one of three prescriptions. In each Strategic Health Authority (StHA), the same proportion of the total number of patients with cancer seemed to be given radiotherapy. There was no obvious simple correlation of radiographer, physicist or treatment machine numbers with waiting times.

The results of this survey suggest a continuing mismatch between capacity and demand. Increased complexity of radical treatments, and possibly more patients being referred for treatment, may have been offset in part by reduced fractionation for palliation.