Numbers of people waiting too long for cancer treatment in England currently almost 500% higher than same time a decade ago
Macmillan Cancer Support’s brand-new analysis of NHS England Cancer Waiting Times statistics shows a huge increase in people waiting longer than they should for treatment compared with 10 years ago.
Macmillan Cancer Support’s brand-new analysis of NHS England Cancer Waiting Times statistics shows a huge increase in people waiting longer than they should for treatment compared with 10 years ago:
- Numbers waiting too long for cancer treatment in England currently almost 500% higher than same time a decade ago
- New analysis of official NHS data shows the average number of people waiting more than a month to start treatment after being diagnosed with cancer has grown by 470% over 10 years*
- Between July 2011 and June 2012, on average 330 people who started treatment each month in England had waited for more than a month to do so since a clinical ‘decision to treat’**As of June 2022, the average figure for the previous 12 months has now soared to 1,884 — an increase of 470%***
Commenting on the findings, Eve Byrne, Director of Advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support says:
“It is an incredibly turbulent time for cancer care and the NHS. Months of further delays and political upheaval in Westminster have only made this deeply concerning situation even worse. Hardworking cancer professionals are doing their best to treat people but, every month, tens of thousands of patients in England are still facing excruciating waits to find out if they have cancer and to start potentially life-saving treatment. These are real people being left in limbo day after day, and the toll these waits can take on their physical and mental health is unimaginable.
“Cancer won’t wait and neither can we. It’s vital that the new Prime Minister recognises the urgency of this situation and puts in place a support package for cancer services in England without delay, and before they are hit by the looming additional strain of winter pressures. Services are also in dire need of a clear UK Government strategy to train and retain more healthcare professionals to tackle this backlog and ensure everyone with cancer gets the timely and quality care they desperately need.”
Macmillan is urging the new Prime Minister to ensure cancer services can access additional capacity to reduce waiting times and the diagnostic and treatment backlogs. For example:
“It is an incredibly turbulent time for cancer care and the NHS. Months of further delays and political upheaval in Westminster have only made this deeply concerning situation even worse. Hardworking cancer professionals are doing their best to treat people but, every month, tens of thousands of patients in England are still facing excruciating waits to find out if they have cancer and to start potentially life-saving treatment. These are real people being left in limbo day after day, and the toll these waits can take on their physical and mental health is unimaginable.
“Cancer won’t wait and neither can we. It’s vital that the new Prime Minister recognises the urgency of this situation and puts in place a support package for cancer services in England without delay, and before they are hit by the looming additional strain of winter pressures. Services are also in dire need of a clear UK Government strategy to train and retain more healthcare professionals to tackle this backlog and ensure everyone with cancer gets the timely and quality care they desperately need.”
Macmillan is urging the new Prime Minister to ensure cancer services can access additional capacity to reduce waiting times and the diagnostic and treatment backlogs. For example:
- Surgical hubs/ Ringfenced capacity for cancer services
- Protected private sector capacity
- Initiatives to look after staff wellbeing, promote greater flexibility amongst teams and reduce workload
Equally, Macmillan wants to see the following included in the upcoming 10-year Cancer Plan:
- Urgent measures to address the current cancer waiting times crisis
- A costed, future-facing workforce strategy
- A plan to ensure everyone with cancer can access personalised care
- Measures to address inequalities in access, outcomes and experiences across the cancer pathway
- Sufficient funding to accompany the strategy
References
* NHS England. Cancer waiting times. Cancer Waiting Times — National Time Series Oct 2009 — Jun 2022 with Revisions. Accessed August 2022. Please note this refers to the monthly average over a 12-month period, and refers to the “Outside Standard” for “One Month Wait from a Decision to Treat to a First Treatment for Cancer” figures — please see the other text and references for more information.
** As per ref 1.
*** As per ref 1. Refers to the monthly average for the 12-month period between July 2021 to June 2022
** As per ref 1.
*** As per ref 1. Refers to the monthly average for the 12-month period between July 2021 to June 2022
Read more
-
News and stories 02 Jul 2025Gemma Peters, our Chief Executive, reflects on the first six months of 2025 and our ambitious new strategy coming to life.
-
News and stories 21 Jan 2025As the number of people living with cancer in the UK rises to almost 3.5 million, change is urgently needed to improve cancer services and address the unacceptable gaps in experiences.
-
News and stories 28 Nov 2024Macmillan’s Chief Partnerships Officer Steven McIntosh reflects on the challenges of trying to do everything everywhere and the urgent need for collaboration on a deeper level.
