Waiting to find out whether you have cancer is one of the most stressful experiences someone can go through. For those who are diagnosed, delays can also mean waiting longer to begin vital treatment. Cancer Research UK’s latest analysis suggests that for many people in England, that wait is still too long.

The study found that fewer than 6 in 10 people (55.4%*) who were diagnosed with cancer after an urgent referral in England received their diagnosis within the Government’s 28-day target in the last year.

The NHS Faster Diagnosis Standard aims to diagnose or rule out cancer within 28 days for 80% of people referred urgently for suspected cancer. The target increased from 75% in March. Since then, if the target had been met for people diagnosed with cancer, around 25,400 people would have received their results sooner.

Breaking down the performance

The Government committed to meeting the 80% target by March 2029 in its National Cancer Plan for England, which was published in February. 

Over the last 12 months, 79.1% of people who had cancer ruled out received that result within 28 days, an improvement of 1.1 percentage points compared with the previous period. But for people who went on to be diagnosed with cancer, performance isn’t improving at the same rate. Only 55.4%* received their diagnosis within 28 days, an increase of just 0.4 percentage points and a gap of 24.6 percentage points from the UK Government’s target in England.

These numbers show that people with cancer are being left behind. 

“Waiting to find out whether you have cancer or not can be agonising,” said Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive. “These figures show that those who ultimately receive the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis aren’t finding out quickly enough 

“On top of that emotional strain, people are being dealt a double blow as delays to diagnosis risk delays to getting vital treatment.” 

Urgent action is needed 

Diagnosing cancer is more complex than ruling it out. But the 28-day standard exists for everyone who is urgently referred. People with cancer are not seeing progress quick enough, and Cancer Research UK is calling on the Government to ensure they aren’t left behind. 

The Government must guarantee that improving cancer waiting times is a high priority for the health service, with an increased focus on ensuring people with cancer receive a diagnosis sooner. 

We want the Government to commit to the staff cancer services need in the long-awaited 10 Year Workforce Plan. We’d also like to see the new National Cancer Board have a clear mandate to fully scrutinise action on waiting times and hold the Government to account if there isn’t enough investment in NHS staff and resources.

“The UK Government needs to take urgent action on cancer waiting times in England including ensuring the NHS has the investment it needs in staff and resources or people with cancer will continue to suffer,” said Mitchell. 

*Analysis looked at the latest 12 months of data available, from October 2025-September 2026, and compared with the same period a year earlier. Data broken down by referral outcome (ruled out or cancer diagnosed) are released quarterly and the period July-September 2026 was published on 12th November 2026.