Newly-diagnosed cancer patients may have to wait up to four weeks to start their treatment, a specialist has warned.

A shortage of radiographers to carry out X-ray therapy is being blamed by Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust.

Staff have been working extra hours, doing up to 11-hour shifts to cope with the workload.

Bruce Sizer, clinical director of North Essex Cancer Partnership, said: "If we see someone at the clinic on Monday the plan for treatment would usually start the following week."

He said this would be the first time the department, based at Essex County Hospital, would make patients wait longer than a week.

"If it becomes absolutely necessary to do it then it would have to be done openly and formally," he said.

Two radiographers are currently on maternity leave. The Trust has put in a bid to the Health authority for three extra radiographers, and vacancies will be advertised again when graduates finish in July.

It employs 19 radiographers, and treats 85 patients a day. This is the second time the Trust has faced this crisis, but last August it managed to avoid introducing waiting times, said Mr Sizer.

He stressed patients still had an appointment for their first visit to the clinic within a week of being referred by their GP.

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