this is bbc news, i m annita mcveigh, the headlines at nine. the number of people facing long waits for urgent cancer treatment across england, scotland and northern ireland has doubled in the past four years. would the chemo have done any good if he had had that sooner? i honestly don t know. it is not something we are ever going to be able to answer and we have got to live with that. are you trying to get an appointment with a specialist? or waiting for cancer treatment? let me know by getting in touch with your comments, experiences and questions on twitter. i m at annita bbc and use the hashtag bbc your questions. also in the headlines this morning. the chief executive of high street chain next urges the government
appointment to come through to speak to someone who could explain exactly what i was about to face. that to someone who could explain exactly what i was about to face. what i was about to face. that is dreadful, that what i was about to face. that is dreadful, that is what i was about to face. that is dreadful, that is dreadful. - what i was about to face. that is dreadful, that is dreadful. you l what i was about to face. that is i dreadful, that is dreadful. you have been given that diagnosis, you want some more information at that point. how long did you have to wait for that next appointment to find out what would happen next? i that next appointment to find out what would happen next?- that next appointment to find out what would happen next? i think it came through what would happen next? i think it came through between what would happen next? i think it came through between ten - what would happen next? i think it came through between ten to i what would happen next? i
shouldn t be in this position where you are taking that lifeline away from a cancer patient. i have already been failed in the system by not being picked up in the covid pandemic to now no i don t know when i am going to be told if i have another three months to live. jules, thank ou another three months to live. jules, thank you for another three months to live. jules, thank you for talking another three months to live. jules, thank you for talking to another three months to live. jules, thank you for talking to us. - another three months to live. jules, thank you for talking to us. it i another three months to live. jules, thank you for talking to us. it is i thank you for talking to us. it is really brave of you, we appreciate it and all of us here wish you the very best. it and all of us here wish you the very itest- some of your responses to a shout out of your experiences waiting to be seen to get an appointment, diagnosis or treatment of where cancer is suspected. sarah s
treat. but even though we are seeing people come forward, the nhs does not have the capacity to treat them fast enough and that is due to the chronic shortages in staffing which means we were not even meeting our waiting time target before the pandemic. in waiting time target before the andemic. :: , pandemic. in the next 20 minutes we are expecting pandemic. in the next 20 minutes we are expecting those pandemic. in the next 20 minutes we are expecting those latest pandemic. in the next 20 minutes we are expecting those latest accounts i are expecting those latest accounts await figures and we will have analysis of those from dominic hughes in the next hour. you can find out how your local hospital trust or health board is performing on cancer referrals from mid morning on the bbc news website. today we are also asking you to share your experience if you are waiting for an appointment or waiting for an appointment or waiting for an appointment or waiting for treatment how long a
it was hard because initially we i it was hard because initially we were still in the covid pandemic. i made a phone call and was firstly askedif made a phone call and was firstly asked if i could send a photo. i used the strength within me to make sure i got an appointment to be seen, but it wasn t easy to initially to even get the appointment. initially to even get the appointment. initially to even get the a- ointment. ., , appointment. after that first appointment. appointment. after that first appointment, tell appointment. after that first appointment, tell us - appointment. after that first appointment, tell us what i appointment. after that first - appointment, tell us what happened nextin appointment, tell us what happened next in terms of working your way through the system? next in terms of working your way through the system? after that, you are on a two-week through the system? after that, you are on a two-week pathway - through the system? after that, you are on