Top doctors warn of crisis in availability of breast cancer services

The UK is facing a crisis in breast cancer care as a massive shortage of specialist doctors and nurses triggers dangerous delays in treatment for thousands of women, top doctors have warned.

Oncologists say some parts of the country have seen a “complete collapse” of the service – with the situation set to get worse as the number of patients outstrips capacity.

Professor Andrew Wardley, chair of the Association of Cancer Physicians, told The Independent that the provision of breast cancer treatment has been “hard hit”. “Because of demand, it has suffered considerably, and there are areas of the country where there are no breast oncologists,” he said.

“We’re losing people from the NHS all the; there are lots of reasons why, and no immediate solution. Things will get worse before they get better.”