Kate and King cancer concerns piling pressure on NHS, says coroner

Pleas by King Charlesand the Princess of Walesfor anyone with cancer concerns to seek help has led to a crisis in the NHS, a coroner has claimed.

Senior coroner Samantha Goward said the NHS is struggling with an influx of new cancer diagnoses triggered by celebrities with the disease including the high-profile royals.

In a report, she said there have been "significant delays" in waiting time due to "high-profile celebrities announcing their cancer diagnoses". She said the celebrities' "rightly encouraging" people to be checked out if they have concerns has put extra stress on the NHS.

Coroner Goward raised the concern following the inquest of 83-year-old Michael Moore where she issued a report to prevent future deaths to NHS England.

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Mr Moore, of East Harling, died in September last year of a form of bladder cancer. He suffered delays in diagnosis and treatment.

While Mrs Goward said it was not possible to say whether quicker diagnosis and treatment would have helped Mr Moore, she told of concerns that others could suffer similar delays.

Mrs Goward wrote: "The evidence of the hospital trust (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Trust) was that work had been ongoing in recent years to reduce delays.

"But that while there had been some initial improvement, there had been a further decline, which I was told was in part due to an increase in referrals due to high profile celebrities announcing their cancer diagnoses and rightly encouraging people to come forward with any symptoms of concern.

"The concern, therefore, is that the NHS does not have the ability to deal with the significant number of cancer referrals received and this is causing significant delays in waiting times, which impacts on those awaiting a diagnosis, undergoing surveillance and delays in diagnosing a recurrence and those awaiting treatment."

In recent years, several well-known figures have publicly shared that they have undergone cancer treatments, including King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

Shortly after the announcement of the King's diagnosis, bosses at the N&N said trusts were bracing themselves for an influx of new referrals. Speaking in February 2024, chief operating officer Chris Cobb said: "We need to be prepared as we will have a lot of activity on the back of the news."

Mrs Goward's report has been sent to bosses at NHS England, who have until November 6 to respond to her concerns.