Impact of the UK's 2-Week Target on Breast Cancer Waiting Times
Author Information
Author(s): Robinson D, Bell C M J, Møller H, Basnett I
Primary Institution: Thames Cancer Registry, Guy's King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Did the introduction of a 2-week maximum wait for breast cancer assessment improve waiting times for treatment?
Conclusion
The introduction of the 2-week wait target significantly improved referral waiting times but led to longer treatment waits, leaving total waiting times relatively unchanged.
Supporting Evidence
- Referral wait times improved significantly after the introduction of the 2-week target.
- Treatment wait times increased, leading to unchanged total wait times.
- Older patients had shorter referral waits due to screening.
- High throughput hospitals had better performance in meeting referral targets.
Takeaway
The UK government set a rule to see breast cancer patients quickly, which helped some but made others wait longer for treatment.
Methodology
Data was collected from 28 hospitals in London and surrounding areas, analyzing waiting times for breast cancer patients before and after the 2-week target was implemented.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to exclusion of hospitals with poorer data quality.
Limitations
The study only included hospitals that consistently provided high-quality data, which may bias the results.
Participant Demographics
Women diagnosed with breast cancer in southeast England, with a focus on age and treatment type.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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