Cancer Patients in England Face Increased Wait Times for Treatment

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A recent analysis by Cancer Research UK shows that over 11% of cancer patients in England waited more than 104 days for treatment in 2024, nearly tripling from 4.4% in 2016. The number of patients enduring such delays surged from just over 6,000 in 2016 to approximately 22,000 last year. Despite a slight improvement in timely treatments, only 66.4% were treated within the targeted 62 days after an urgent referral, with the benchmark remaining unmet since December 2015.

Officials highlight that the last time the NHS consistently met the 85% target for timely treatment was back in 2013. In total, around 74,000 patients experienced waits longer than 62 days for treatment in 2024. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, stressed the need for increased funding, stating, “The UK government must invest in staff and equipment if it’s to hit all cancer waiting time targets by the end of this parliament.”

NHS data does show improvements in diagnosis times, with 78.1% receiving a definitive cancer diagnosis within 28 days of referral. However, Prof Pat Price of Radiotherapy UK cautioned that more resources and attention are urgently needed to address this ongoing crisis.

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