Major fall in urgent skin cancer referrals during the COVID-19 outbreak.
editorial · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33199221.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.10.087 and PMC identifier 7649036.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 cornovirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected referrals of new suspected cancers from primary care to specialist services in the National Health Service (NHS) across the UK. Amongst the many factors causing delay, such as fear and uncertainty about COVID-19 transmission, reluctance to seek medical attention for cancer sypmtoms and avoiding additional pressure on NHS services, we anticipate a surge in urgent skin cancer referrals to our plastic surgery service as we enter a post-COVID recovery phase. On the basis of previous referral data and statistical forecasting, we share our predicted numbers against our actual number of urgent skin cancer referrals for the COVID-19 period and, based on this analysis, encourage all cancer services to prepare and allocate resources appropriately for the busy months to follow.
Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
- Referral and Consultation
- Skin Neoplasms
- Surgery, Plastic
- Time-to-Treatment