Skin cancer patients face delays of a year as NHS waiting list increases by a quarter

Waiting lists for skin cancer treatment have increased by a quarter since the pandemic, with patients facing delays of up to a year before they can start treatment.

Now politicians are advocating abolishing VAT on high-factor sunscreens so that more people can protect themselves.

Responses from 49 NHS trusts in England show that 38,392 patients have joined a waiting list to start treatment for skin cancer in 2023-24. This is a 25.8 per cent increase on the 30,521 in 2019-20. 3,571 patients also waited longer than the standard 62 days to start treatment last year.

Seventy-eight waited more than six months, with some waiting almost a year. The longest wait was at Norwich and Norfolk NHS trust, where a patient was on the list for 345 days following an urgent referral. Breaches of the 62-day target have almost quadrupled in this period, from 988 in 2019-20.

The actual figures are likely to be higher as some trusts have not responded to Freedom of Information requests from the Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act.

Responses from 49 NHS trusts in England show that 38,392 patients have signed up to a waiting list to start treatment for skin cancer in 2023-24. The research was conducted by the Lib Dems (file image)

The party’s public health spokesperson Daisy Cooper called the NHS cancer care “shocking and tragic”.

She called on the government to abolish VAT on high factor sunscreen, hire more cancer nurses and offer a 100 per cent guarantee that patients will start cancer treatment within 62 days of an emergency referral. Sunscreen is taxed at the standard VAT rate of 20 per cent. By abolishing VAT, buyers will save £67 million a year.

The cost to the NHS of treating skin cancer is expected to rise to £465 million next year.

A survey last year for the charity Melanoma Focus found that half of the population think sunscreen is too expensive, with one in ten saying they don’t use it because it’s too expensive.

Ms Cooper said: ‘The huge increase in referrals shows we need to do more to prevent people from getting skin cancer in the first place.

‘That means making it affordable for people to protect themselves by reducing VAT on high factor sunscreens and making a public commitment from major retailers that they will pass on the financial benefits to consumers.

‘We need to ensure all patients start treatment as soon as possible and this Government must make recruiting more oncology nurses a top priority.’ Susanna Daniels of Melanoma Focus said: ‘Reducing VAT on high factor sunscreen would be a major step forward in the fight against the alarming rise in skin cancer cases.

A previous survey for the charity Melanoma Focus last year found that half of the population think sunscreen is too expensive, while one in ten say they don’t use it because it’s too expensive (file image)

‘With pressure on household budgets, many struggle to afford this essential product. Skin cancers, particularly melanoma, can be deadly, but they are largely preventable. Sunscreen is a vital tool in this prevention.’

The Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘High factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already dispensed VAT-free when a pharmacist dispenses it to these patients.’

‘We, in collaboration with charities, politicians from various parties, patients and medical professionals, have been campaigning for the abolition of VAT on factor 30+ sunscreens as part of our VAT Burn campaign.’