More than 9,000 people with cancer in England waited more than two months to start treatment in January

• Performance against the national cancer waiting times targets in England improved in January 2025 compared with the same time last year, however all three targets were still missed, and performance was worse than in December, showing NHS cancer services in England remain under intense pressure[1]
• While there were promising signs of year-on-year improvements in January, there were still more than 9,000 people who waited more than 62 days to start treatment following a referral for suspected cancer[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 3,000 throughout January[3]
• Last year there were more than 100,000 people with cancer in England who waited more than two months to start treatment following a referral for suspected cancer — more than twice as many as five years previously[4]
• 2024 was also still one of the worst years on record for the 31-day cancer treatment target in England[5]
• Other new figures from Macmillan Cancer Support show that half of people currently having cancer treatment in the UK (50%) are worried about general pressures on the NHS affecting their chances of survival[6]

[1] NHS England. Cancer waiting times. CWT-CRS-National-Time-Series-Oct-2009-Jan-2025-with-Revisions.xlsx All three national targets were missed in January 2025. The performance against the 28-day target was 73.4% (target: 75%), the 31-day target was 88.8% (target: 96%) and the 62-day target was 67.3% (target: 85%). Performance against all three targets in January 2024 for comparison was: 28-day target: 70.8%; 31-day target: 87.5%; 62-day target: 62.7%. Performance against all three targets in December 2024 for comparison was: 28-day target: 78.1%; 31-day target: 91.5%; 62-day target: 71.3%.

[2] As per ref 1. There were 9,227 people who waited more than 62 days to start treatment following their first referral for suspected cancer (urgent suspected cancer or breast symptomatic referral, or urgent screening referral, or consultant upgrade to a first definitive treatment for cancer)

[3] NHS England. Management information on cancer.

[4] 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 2024, a total of 105,544 people with cancer in England waited more than two months to start treatment from an urgent suspected cancer or breast symptomatic referral, or urgent screening referral, or consultant upgrade. In 2019, the equivalent figure was 46,360 people (based on combined figures from the formerly separate versions of the 62-day target)

[5] As per ref 1. Average performance against the 31-day treatment target was 90.8% in 2024, compared with 90.1% in 2023. Current performance is not directly comparable to 2022 and previous years due to changes in the target, however the data available suggests performance was better in 2022 and previous years compared with 2023 and 2024

[6] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,057 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 223 people going through treatment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd and 27th January 2025. 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’