Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis

This article provides information on the latest performance against cancer waiting times targets. We have another piece explaining the upcoming changes to cancer waiting times in England.

We’ve also just launched a new Cancer Waiting Times Data Hub with more detailed information on performance across the UK. Go there to explore all the latest data and see how results have changed over time, or keep reading here for the summary.

Over the past few years, pressure on NHS cancer services has been mounting.

Cancer waiting times, which show whether the health system is meeting its targets for quickly diagnosing and treating cancer, help show us the extent of this pressure.

Testing for cancer, diagnosing it and starting treatment quickly saves people from stress and anxiety. Not only this, but cancer that’s diagnosed and treated at an early stage, when it isn’t too large and hasn’t spread, is more likely to be treated successfully. Prompt diagnosis and treatment underpin this.

There are four important targets that indicate how well cancer services are doing.

Here are the latest results in England for July 2023:

Urgent suspected cancer referrals standard: Target Missed

• 77.5% of people were seen by a specialist within 2 weeks of an urgent suspected cancer referral in July 2023. The target is 93% and was last met in May 2020.

The Faster Diagnosis Standard: Target Missed

• 74.1% of people were diagnosed, or had cancer ruled out, within 28 days of an urgent referral in July 2023. The target is 75% and has never been met since its introduction in October 2021.

The 62-day standard: Target Missed

• Only 62.6% of people in England received their diagnosis and started their first treatment within 2 months (or 62 days) of an urgent referral in July 2023. This is well below the target of 85%, which has not been met since 2015, with a record low in January 2023.

The 31-day standard: Target Missed

• 91.8% of people started treatment within 31 days of doctors deciding a treatment plan in July 2023. The target is 96%.

The above data are specific to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own cancer waiting times targets. Visit our new Cancer Waiting Times Data Hub to explore more of the latest data on performance against waiting times targets and activity for key diagnostic tests across the four nations.

What does this mean for people affected by cancer?

It can be easy to forget that behind these numbers are real people going through an incredibly anxious time.

Almost 5,800 people who started cancer treatment in July 2023 had waited longer than two months since their urgent referral. If the 62-day target was met, around 3,500 additional patients would have been treated on time.

Quantifying the impact of missing targets and longer waits on patient outcomes is difficult as the research is limited.

The picture is different for different cancer types – some progress quicker than others – but we know the overall impact is likely to be negative. One study estimated that a 4-week delay to cancer surgery led to a 6-8% increased risk of dying.

People with more aggressive cancers are prioritised for early treatment where possible, but there can be good reasons why someone might experience a long wait for treatment.

For example, it can take longer to plan treatments intending to cure someone’s cancer, and sometimes patients need prehabilitation before starting treatment to give them the best chance of recovering well.

But increases in missed targets mean people who need potentially lifesaving cancer treatments are waiting, and worrying, for longer – and that is a big concern.

Despite delays, people shouldn’t put off coming forward if they are worried about symptoms. It’s always better to be on the waiting list than not at all, and if doctors are concerned, they will push things through as quickly as possible.

Getting back on track

UK cancer survival lags behind other similar countries and cancer waiting times targets haven’t been met since 2015. Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, patients are waiting longer than ever for diagnosis and treatment. This is unacceptable when a matter of weeks can be enough time for some cancers to progress. And, with a third more cancer cases projected across the UK by 2040, the challenge ahead is only growing. The issues facing cancer services are significant – but they are fixable. 

We are in a golden age of cancer research and innovation. Each new discovery is giving us better tools to understand the causes of cancer, diagnose patients more quickly, offer kinder and more effective treatments, and prevent some cancers even occurring in the first place. 

We now need the UK Government to show political leadership on cancer. That means accelerating research and innovation to find new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer, and implementing interventions that we know will improve cancer outcomes. 

Later this year, Cancer Research UK will be publishing its Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care, setting out what we think the UK Government needs to do to transform cancer research and care, so people can live longer, happier lives, free from the fear of cancer.