Medway Maritime Hospital skin cancer patients 'put at risk'

The skin cancer service at Medway Maritime Hospital has been described as "fragile" by the CCG

Skin cancer patients are being put at "significant risk of harm" after staffing issues at a Kent hospital more than doubled waiting times.

Medway Maritime Hospital said from April 2019 it will no longer be treating skin cancer patients.

Health services bosses said the service was "fragile" and they are considering "immediate termination" of the contract.

The hospital admitted delays in treating patients was "unacceptable".

Medway NHS Foundation Trust said waiting times for dermatology (skin) cancer referrals had increased rapidly with patients now waiting five weeks for appointments instead of the statutory two weeks.

The trust said the retirement of the lead consultant and difficulties finding locums had resulted in a "rapid increase" in waiting times during August.

Swale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: "This appears to be an extremely fragile service. It is clear that there is significant risk of patient harm through the long waits following referrals for possible cancer."

Cancer service 'failure'

The CCG, which commissions health services for about 110,000 people in the Swale area, said it was recommending alternative providers be found for the service.

Swale CCG said it was "considering immediate termination of the Medway Foundation Trust's contract given the significant material failure of the service".

Lesley Dwyer, Chief Executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The dermatology service at the trust is experiencing serious challenges in managing current demand.

"We accept that the delays some patients are currently experiencing are unacceptable.

"We have agreed a joint plan with our commissioners to address these issues and improve waiting times."

In July the hospital - which came out of special measures last year - was told by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) it still required improvement,

The hospital had been in special measures for nearly four years.