English Cancer Patients Still Face Long Wait-Report (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) - A fifth of patients with suspected cancer wait more than a month to be seen by a specialist in England, a report showed on Friday.

The National Audit Office (NAO) survey of more than 4,000 cancer patients found widespread improvement in care provided by the National Health Service since the last survey in 2000.

But the research also showed that large numbers were waiting weeks or months before being seen by a cancer specialist after visiting their doctor with symptoms.

The survey, which includes both patients referred urgently and those not referred urgently, found 58 percent of patients were seen by a specialist within two weeks in 2004 - up from 46 percent in 2000.

A further 22 percent of patients were seen by between two weeks and one month, while 20 percent waited longer than one month.

A government target states that all patients with suspected cancer referred urgently by their doctor should be seen by a specialist in two weeks.

The report looked at the experience of patients from going to their doctor to support in the community after being discharged from hospital.

Patients with the four cancers that account for the greatest number of deaths -- lung, breast, bowel and prostate -- were asked how long they had to wait before being seen by a specialist.

Breast cancer patients were most likely to be seen within two weeks -- at 70 percent -- followed by lung cancer patients at 68 percent.

Only 51 percent of bowel cancer patients and 32 percent of prostate cancer patients were seen within two weeks, though these were up on the 2000 figures.

Patients in London were also less positive about their care than others elsewhere in England.