Health Targets: Shorter waits for cancer treatments
What is the target?
Everyone needing radiation treatment will have this within four weeks of first specialist radiation oncology assessment from December 2010.
Why is this target area important?
Specialist cancer treatment and symptom control is essential in reducing the impact of cancer. Development of indicators that mark quality cancer treatment is, however, restricted by the lack of routinely collected information on common treatment.
In the interim, waiting times for radiation oncology treatment have been chosen as a representative indicator of specialist treatment, and is an area with waiting time issues for patients. This is justifiable, because radiotherapy is of proven effectiveness in reducing the impact of a range of cancers, and delay to radiotherapy is likely to lead to poorer outcomes of treatment.
A four-week wait time is currently targeted.
Who is the Ministry of Health champion of this target?
Dr John Childs
National Clinical Director, Cancer Programme
Related information
The target is for patients who are ready to treat and excludes those patients who require other treatment such as chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy, are not fit to start treatment because of their medical condition or who choose to defer their treatment.
Page last updated: 13 December 2010
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