CCG chief warns St Helens may face fresh health crisis

The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed back in April that cancer referrals had plummeted in St Helens amid fears people were sitting on symptoms due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The following month, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, launched a cancer telephone service for people to discuss symptoms, and, if necessary, quickly organise tests or an appointment with a specialist.

READ > Labour councillors blast Government for snubbing carers in pay rise review

This week, St Helens CCG’s clinical accountable officer pleaded with councillors to step up work in their communities to raise awareness of the issue.

This came after the publication of new report on the St Helens Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2020, which provides insight into the trends, inequalities and causes of death in the borough.

The report, which was produced by the CCG and St Helens Borough Council’s public health team, reveals that cancer was the biggest killer in St Helens in 2019, accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths (26 per cent).

Cardiovascular disease was the second biggest killer, accounting for 24 per cent of all deaths.

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality for under 75s, with 35 per cent of all deaths, circulatory disease causes a quarter of deaths (26 per cent).

For males, there has been an increase in both circulatory disease and cancer since 2018.

For cancer there were 155 deaths in 2019, compared to 113 deaths in 2018.

For cardiovascular disease, there were 121 deaths in 2019, up from 79 deaths in 2018.

Circulatory disease has also increased for females, with 69 deaths in 2019, up from 47 in 2017.

The data within the report, which was presented to the People’s Board on Wednesday, was for 2019, meaning COVID-19 data has not been included.

“Whilst obviously coronavirus has been horrific for all of us, and it hasn’t gone away, I think what this report does is remind us that actually the leading causes of death in St Helens are cancer and respiratory illness, and actually obesity is a risk factor for both of those,” said professor Sarah O’Brien, strategic director of people’s services at St Helens Borough Council and clinical accountable officer for St Helens CCG.

Cllr Jeanie Bell, cabinet member for community safety, described the cancer statistics as “heartbreaking”, and warned that further lockdown restrictions “may paint a more difficult picture”.

Prof O’Brien told the People’s Board, which has not met since March 11, that now is the time to refocus on its priorities prior to COVID-19.

professor Sarah O’Brien, strategic director of people’s services at St Helens Borough Council and clinical accountable officer for St Helens CCG, was speaking at the People's Board

One of the priorities made by the board – which has a wide membership across public services and the voluntary and community sector – in 2019 was the early diagnosis of cancer.

“One of our biggest issues with cancer is late presentation,” said prof O’Brien. “And actually that presentation is often delayed in some of our more deprived communities.

“So I do think it is time to start refocusing on some of the things that were our priority before coronavirus.

READ > St Helens was ranked 'high priority' for £3.6bn Towns Fund

“And as Cllr Bell’s just said, there is a genuine concern in health at the moment of the impact of the pandemic and stepping down a lot of services on cancer treatment and cancer diagnosis.

“So we have been doing campaigns locally and Whiston have got a cancer hotline, but I think the more that members can do in their communities to raise awareness with the communities you serve, the better.

“Because I think otherwise we’ll have another health crisis next year, which won’t necessarily just be coronavirus.”