Gordon Brown has today provided more details of plans to ensure that everyone in England who suffers from cancer receives dedicated one on one specialist nursing.
According to the BBC, the Prime Minister stated that the move would transform the experience of patients. In his speech at the health research charity, The Kings Fund, he stated regarding the proposals that “We must push forward with new and ever more stretching guarantees to secure for every family the right to get the best possible personalised health care when and where they need it”. In addition to this Mr Brown confirmed that the guarantees given would be legally enforceable.
These proposals would include the right for anyone with suspected cancer to see a specialist within two weeks of diagnosis and a commitment to ensure all cancer tests will be completed and results given in one week. Additionally Mr Brown said that one to one specialist care at home for cancer sufferers could “transform their experience” and would benefit £1.6million people.
This is a commendable prospective policy by the Prime Minister and should be well received by the public and cancer sufferers who might now, according to Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Ciaran Devane, “get the right support to meet their varied needs” .
However, hospitals, doctors and nurses may not take quite so kindly to the provision of such guarantees. They are already under pressure to meet a high standard of practice to comply with their duty of care and safety towards their patients and it could be argued that this move by Mr Brown will raise the barometer higher still.
Will someone possibly be able to bring a claim for clinical negligence if they don’t see a specialist within two weeks of receiving a cancer diagnosis? The guarantees provided would certainly indicate that there would potentially be a claim if the delay resulted in further complications which would not otherwise have occurred.
That being said, Mr Brown has already set aside £20 million for the proposal to ensure that they are met and this will pay towards the cost of the additional nurses. If it ensures a better standard of care for patients then it has to be seen as a positive, even if the Prime Minister’s opponents may merely perceive it as a pre-election ploy.
