Family Calls for Faster NHS Test Results After Father’s Death Follows Delayed Scan Outcome

A family in Shropshire has urged the NHS to provide quicker test results, following a father’s three-month wait for cancer scan outcomes, which were received just five days before his passing. Pete Vagg was undergoing chemotherapy at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, unaware that his treatment was ineffective and that palliative care could have been an option. His son, Neil, stated that his father “should have had a more dignified end of life, visiting his grandchildren abroad”. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) commented: “Waiting times remain longer than we would want for our patients in some specialties”. Mr. Vagg, a 79-year-old resident of Shrewsbury, had been battling cancer for several years, which had subsequently spread to his bowel and liver. He commenced chemotherapy, and in July 2024, underwent a monitoring scan to assess the treatment’s efficacy. Neil Vagg, who is employed at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, remarked: “It was odd that every time his dad met the medical team there was still no scan result”. He further explained that this absence of results prevented any decisions from being made regarding his father’s care, as his internal condition remained unknown. Julian Povey, chair of the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin GP Board, described this as a frequent occurrence, noting that approximately one-third of GP workload is now linked to hospital outpatient appointments. Dr. Povey indicated that individuals might wait eight weeks for a scan, followed by an additional 12 weeks for the corresponding report. While private companies are often engaged to interpret scan results to alleviate hospital pressure, Dr. Povey emphasized that the trust “needs to look for alternatives to reduce waiting times”. NHS cancer diagnostics data for September indicated that roughly two-thirds (68%) of SaTH patients received their results within four weeks. However, more than one in ten patients experienced a wait exceeding two months. Nationally, across England, three-quarters (75%) of patients met the target timeframe. The Royal College of Radiologists reported a national shortage of staff in the field. The college highlighted that in Shropshire, reporting times for more intricate diagnostics, such as CT and MRI scans, were particularly concerning. From January to June 2024, 8.3% of CT and MRI scans (totaling 4269 scans) took longer than 28 days to be reported. Ned Hobbs, SaTH’s chief operating officer, stated: “We are making progress in reducing waiting times for cancer treatment. “We have invested in additional capacity and clinics, including at our Community Diagnostic Centre, and expect in the coming months to reduce the waiting times further.” He also mentioned that the trust is collaborating with nearby hospitals to provide quicker access to scans, tests, and treatment. Neil Vagg expressed that witnessing his father’s unnecessary suffering motivated him to speak out: “We need to be asking questions about why it’s been allowed to happen… because what’s to say there isn’t something more serious out there lurking that could be averted.”