National cancer waiting time standards were not met by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, contributing to significant delays in diagnosis and treatment, according to a report by England\u2019s health ombudsman.<\/p>\n
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said a woman with ovarian cancer waited far longer than national targets for both diagnosis and the start of treatment, and that the trust must review its performance and apologise to her family.<\/p>\n
Missed National Targets<\/h2>\n
The woman, known only as Mrs S, was referred to the trust by her GP in January 2023 after presenting with abdominal bloating. She underwent a CT scan on February 16, a biopsy on March 15 and received a diagnosis on March 21.<\/p>\n
The PHSO found that her diagnosis took 49 days from referral and that treatment had still not begun 81 days after referral. At the time, NHS England standards required cancer to be diagnosed within 28 days and treatment to start within 62 days.<\/p>\n
The ombudsman said that if the trust had met these targets, Mrs S would have started chemotherapy on April 3, when she was still well enough to receive it. Instead, delays meant she deteriorated and was no longer fit for treatment. She died later in April 2023, aged 67.<\/p>\n
Trust Performance<\/h2>\n
The investigation noted that the trust told the PHSO it had improved performance on cancer waiting times, but that achievement against national treatment targets had in fact declined.<\/p>\n
In February 2023, 47.6% of cancer patients at the trust started treatment within 62 days. By July 2025 this had fallen to 46.1%, with the latest available figure for October 2025 at 47.1%.<\/p>\n
The PHSO concluded that failures in meeting waiting time standards caused distress to Mrs S and her family. It recommended a review of cancer waiting times and wider service improvements, and instructed the trust to issue a formal apology.<\/p>\n
PHSO chief executive Paula Sussex said: \u201cIn this case, we recommended that the trust should investigate its performance against national targets and make a robust plan for how it will improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust has committed to carrying out this work and will be rolling out new technology to help it allocate resources more efficiently and increase capacity for cancer appointments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile this will sadly not change what happened in this case, it highlights how one complaint can make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of this investigation, other patients and families should experience wait times that are in line with national guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Response From the Trust<\/h2>\n
Dawn Scrafield, chief executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: \u201cWe know that waiting for cancer diagnosis and treatment is a worrying time and we offer sincere apologies to Mrs S\u2019s family for the delay in her treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cDemand has increased, and we are reviewing how we manage the need for more diagnostic services.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have begun an integrated improvement plan, working with our health and care system partners to speed up treatment times and get patients to the right place at the right time.<\/p>\n
\u201cCancer care is one of our key priorities, and we can already see our wait times reducing in some cancers as we deliver extra clinics and theatre scheduling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family Experience<\/h2>\n
Mrs S, a retired history teacher from Chelmsford and a mother of two, had been told that while her cancer was not curable, chemotherapy might extend her life. Treatment was initially scheduled to begin about a month after diagnosis but did not proceed because of the delays.<\/p>\n
Her son, a 31-year-old chartered surveyor, said: \u201cI had trust in the NHS, so whenever they told us things like scans would happen, we believed them. But it was just delay after delay.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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