“Sadly, this is the reality of being diagnosed with cancer in England in 2024.
“But it doesn’t need to be this way. We need every part of the UK government to come together urgently to address this problem here and now. Though we welcome the long-term ambitions of the 10-year plan and the promise of a national cancer plan, the situation requires immediate action. People living with cancer deserve better, no matter who they are or where they live.”
Macmillan is here to support everyone affected by cancer. Our Support Line is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm or you can visit our website at www.macmillan.org.uk.
Supporting data fact box
- All three national cancer waiting time targets were missed in September and performance on all three targets was worse than in the previous month, showing that NHS cancer services in England are still struggling under intense pressure[1]
- While all three targets were missed, more people were treated for cancer in England in September 2024 than in September 2023 and performance was higher, showing some signs of year-on-year improvement[2]
- Separate official NHS data shows the number of people in England with a confirmed diagnosis of cancer and decision to treat who were still waiting to start treatment more than two months after their urgent referral remained above 3,300 throughout September 2024[3]
- Recent Macmillan analysis shows 2023 was the worst year on record for cancer treatment delays in England[4], and that UK cancer survival rates are up to 25 years behind other European countries[5]
- Other recent figures from Macmillan Cancer Support show that more than half of people having cancer treatment in the UK (59%) are worried about general pressures on the NHS affecting their chances of survival[6]
- Previous Macmillan analysis also shows that over the past 10 years, the number of people with cancer waiting longer than a month to start treatment in England has increased at a rate 5 times greater than the total number of people starting treatment[7]
References
[1] NHS England. Cancer waiting times. CWT-CRS-National-Time-Series-Oct-2009-Sep-2024-with-Revisions.xlsx . All three targets were missed in September 2024. The performance against the 28-day target was 74.8%, the 31-day target was 90.6% and the 62-day target was 67.3%. Performance against all three targets in August 2024 for comparison were: 28-day target 75.5%, 31-day target 91.7%, 62-day target 67.3%.
[2] As per ref 1. Performance against all three targets in September 2023 was: 28-day target 69.7%, 31-day target 89.5%, 62-day target 63.5%.
[3] NHS England. Management information on cancer.
[4] Macmillan Cancer Support analysis of official statistics. Source: NHS England. Cancer waiting times. Based on a combination of analysis of from the following sources: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/ and https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/#cwt-statistics-up-to-september-2023. In 2023, over 30,000 people newly diagnosed with cancer in England waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, the highest annual figure since current records began in 2009. Performance against the 31-day treatment target was worse in every month of 2023 than in the same month of 2022, and overall annual performance has fallen each successive year from 2017 onwards
[5] Macmillan Cancer Support. UK cancer care ‘stuck in the noughties’. June 2024
[6] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,099 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 213 people going through treatment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd January and 22nd January 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+). Survey question was as follows: How worried, if at all, are you about the following? ‘General pressures on the NHS affecting my chances of survival’
[7] As per ref 6. Refers to people starting their first treatment for a new cancer diagnosis only. The monthly average for the number of people who waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so has increased by 7.23 times when comparing 2023 with 2013 (2,628 people per month on average compared with 364 people per month on average). In comparison, the monthly average for the total number of people starting treatment has increased between the same time periods by 1.36 times (28,371 compared with 20,877, respectively). 7.23 divided by 1.36 = 5.3