THE chief executive of the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital says "Nobody is coming to harm" as a result of it missing its cancer waiting time target. That may be true, but it's little comfort if you are actually one of those waiting longer than the Government thinks you should for treatment.
In the last three months of last year, after putting an action plan in place, the hospital hit its target of treating 85 per cent of cancer patients within 62 days of being referred. But it has fallen short from January to August this year.
The hospital says that was due to increasing demand for complex surgery. Chief executive Angela Pedder told the BBC: " Nobody is coming to harm as a consequence of the delays of not hitting the targets. The targets are important, but we are doing our very best to treat our patients appropriately."
Reassuringly though, a national survey of cancer patients puts the hospital among the best in the country for the care they receive. Nine out of 10 rate their care as good or excellent., which is good news among the gloom.
As for the national picture, a report based on 10 years of data to 2007 found survival rates of some cancers in Britain, particularly colon, ovary, kidney, stomach and lung, were below the European average. The rate was about average for rectum, breast, prostate, melanoma of the skin and lymphomas. Let's hope the chances of long-term survival are improving.
But all is not well on the financial side. In Exeter, earlier this year the hospital reported a deficit of more than £3m, with estimated shortfalls of £8.9m and £13.5m for this year and next. It's a similar situation all over the Westcountry.
Exeter's MP Ben Bradshaw, a former health minister, says the NHS is in crisis, from GPs to hospitals and mental health services.
With a general election looming next year, NHS funding is all set up to be a major political battleground.
I expect the parties will be competing to reassure us it will be safe in their hands.
If you're ill, you just want good care, as quickly as can be reasonably expected. But while the cancer care is good at the RD&E, not everyone is getting it as quickly as they should be at the moment. We should ask the politicians why.
