A new Macmillan Cancer Support report has revealed that more than 600,000 cancer patients in the UK are facing treatment delays or missing out on vital support because of a shortage of specialist nurses.

The charity warns that the NHS is suffering from a ‘shocking’ shortfall of 3,000 specialist nurses in England alone, leaving one in five of all those living with cancer lacking the necessary dedicated support.

As a result, cancer patients are struggling with medication, having hospital appointments cancelled because there are not enough staff or experiencing devastating delays to chemotherapy. In some cases, patients are ending up in A&E.

Experts claim that the problem has worsened during the pandemic, with the number lacking support from a specialist cancer nurse rising to one in four of those diagnosed in the last two years – including at least 75,000 people diagnosed since the start of the pandemic.

The new research reveals that 44 per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer in the last two years who lacked support from a specialist nurse experienced potentially harmful problems as a result. The charity’s report also found patients who lacked specialist nursing support were much more likely to experience depression or anxiety after their cancer diagnosis.

Macmillan is calling on the government to launch a cancer nurse fund of £124 million to train an extra 3,371 specialist cancer nurses in England at the upcoming comprehensive spending review, which will help ensure there are sufficient staff to provide all patients with the quality of care they need and deserve.