Cancer scans delayed over supply issues - hospital

Terry Mott fears he is at risk of his prostate cancer spreading because of delays to his care

Prostate cancer scans have been delayed because of an issue over medical supplies, a hospital trust has said.

The problem concerned the "failure" of a radioactive liquid used in the procedure, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) said.

It said the issue had delayed scans for patients in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire for a month.

The NHS trust said an alternative supplier had been found and it was working to clear the backlog.

Terry Mott, 60, from Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer on 16 March.

He was initially told by Churchill Hospital in Oxford to expect an appointment for a PET (positron emission tomography) scan within two weeks before a treatment plan could begin.

However, in a hospital email seen by the BBC, Mr Mott was told scans in the Thames Valley region had "suffered significantly over the last month from being unavailable due to failure of the tracer required to complete the scan".

Terry and his wife Moira said they were frustrated he had not been offered a scan at another hospital

Mr Mott said: "I just find it upsetting, trying to digest that I have got cancer...I'm just concerned that it doesn't spread."

The retired baggage handler said his own father died from prostate cancer at the age of 69, which was adding to his distress.

He said: "I'm just so angry that you can get it done privately and there's no issues with that, yet when it comes to the NHS [the tracer is] breaking down," he added.

'Longer than usual'

The tracer is a mildly radioactive substance which is injected into a vein in order to show up where the cancer is and whether it has spread.

The NHS email said the hospital would normally scan 24 prostate patients per week but had not been able to do so.

In a statement, an OUH spokesperson said: “A localised supply issue with PSMA [prostate-specific membrane antigen] radiotracers for prostate cancer scans has been identified, resulting in some patients at OUH waiting longer than usual for a scan.

“An alternative tracer supplier has been found, and local NHS staff are working hard to clear the backlog and ensure all patients get the scans they need as a matter of urgency.”