Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], which was in financial special measures until the end of 2018, was ranked 131 out of 131 of all NHS trusts in the country earlier this year when it came to cancer referral targets.
In September this year, the Trust announced it had finally hit the government target that aims for 85 per cent of cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days of a GP referral.
Now MTW has continued to turnaround its performance after the latest data has shown the Trust has hit all eight NHS cancer targets simultaneously.
Latest data shows that MTW reached the 85 per cent target for three months running as well as maintaining the target for a second consecutive month for seeing patients within 14 days of GP referral.
In addition, MTW has also exceeded six further NHS cancer targets including treating 96 per cent of patients within 31 days of decision to treat, as well as going above and beyond the 90 per cent target for treating patients within 62 days of screenings for cancers such as breast and cervical – hitting almost 96 per cent for October.
The last time all eight targets were met was back in March 2014 and figures from September 2018 showed MTW was treating just 58 per cent of patients within 62 days, but the latest data indicates a radical increase in cancer performance, with MTW now being placed within the top 20 per cent of trusts nationally.
The news follows a raft of changes introduced by the Trust to improve its cancer waiting times and respond to the rise in demand, including investing in more staff and upskilling more nurses to be able to deliver chemotherapy treatment.
Chief of Service for Cancer Services at the trust, Dr Henry Taylor, said: “Reaching these targets is testament to all of the incredible hard work undertaken by our clinical staff, working alongside an outstanding administrative team, who are dedicated to delivering the best possible care to our patients throughout their cancer journey.
“We are extremely proud of the progress we have made as a team over the last year, with the latest data also showing we have continued to improve since achieving the 62 day target.
“We will now build on the good work we’ve implemented to fulfil our ambition of becoming an outstanding cancer centre, where patients can access world-leading, high quality cancer care and treatment.”
