SOUTHEND Hospital has been rated the worst for waiting times for bowel cancer tests.

According to a recent study by Bowel Cancer UK, Southend have had 31.7 per cent of their patients on a waiting list for over six weeks.

That means that there are 259 patients on the waiting list, with 82 having waited over six weeks for a test that will determine whether or not they have bowel cancer.

The hospital also had the worst waiting times by far for a flexible sigmoidoscopy appointment with 46 per cent of their patients having to wait over six weeks.

Of the 170 patients on the waiting list for a flexible sigmoidoscopy, 79 have had to wait for six weeks or longer.

These do not meet the NHS standard of less than one per cent of patients waiting more than six weeks for tests that could diagnose bowel cancer.

The report discovered that many hospitals are at breaking point because they simply do not have the capacity to meet the growing demand for these services.

Bowel cancer is the second highest killing cancer but is treatable and easily curable if diagnosed early.

More than nine in ten (98 per cent) will survive for five years or more if they are diagnosed at the first stage but currently only 15 per cent actually are.

Yvonne Blücher, managing director at Southend Hospital, said: “As of June this year we commissioned an in-sourcing provider to enable us to increase our capacity to carry out bowel cancer testing and this has seen a significant reduction in our six-week breaches.

“Going forward, we have a locum starting with us in a couple weeks and we will continue in-sourcing until the end of September when we envisage the backlog will be cleared.

“It’s very difficult to achieve zero breaches due to a combination of things such as patients being away on holiday or patients choosing not to accept an appointment. Urgent two-week GP referrals are always prioritised and these patients do not experience any delays.

“Like many Trusts across the country, Southend Hospital has had difficulties in recruiting consultants in this speciality which has directly affected our waiting times for bowel cancer testing, which is now being addressed.”

Diane, 64, from Rayleigh, defended the hospital, using her husband’s experience.

She said: “My husband failed the test that comes in the post in December 2015 and had a colonoscopy at Basildon Hospital very soon after failing the test.

“As we live in Rayleigh my husband was given choice of the operation being done at Basildon or Southend.

“He chose Southend and they were fantastic.

“He had the operation in January 2016 which was performed by Mr Dworkin who was wonderful.”