The NHS Oncology Conference 2021: Innovating through backlogs

The Convenzis Oncology Virtual Conference series aims to provide a secure and focused environment for NHS cancer specialists to listen, learn and engage with peers and sector leaders from across the UK and further afield.

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 outbreak has had a catastrophic impact on cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Around 40,000 fewer people than normal started cancer treatment in the UK last year. The UK’s NHS currently has more than 4·6 million people on waiting lists for surgery and 300 000 people have been on hold for more than 12 months—a wait time that is 100-times higher than before the pandemic.

In more positive news, an injection that cuts the amount of time breast cancer patients spend in hospital from two and a half hours to as little as five minutes is being rolled out across the country by NHS England.

Breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will be offered a new combined treatment called PHESGO, which is injected and takes as little as five minutes to prepare and administer, compared with two infusions that can take up to two and a half hours, more than 3,600 new patients each year will benefit from the treatment, as well as others who will switch from the treatment, they are on to the single injection, following an NHS deal with the manufacturer.

Our upcoming conference will open the debate on the current state of NHS cancer treatment and provide an interactive platform to learn about changes in policy and innovation being implemented to help improve the current cancer treatment backlogs and ultimately NHS patients’ wellbeing.

The NHS Oncology Conference 2021: Innovating through backlogs