Nearly 10% of suspected cancer patients in England are waiting more than two weeks for their first specialist appointment, as the NHS struggles with rising demand. In the 12 months to June, 130,553 people experienced delays, up from 104,930 in the same period in 2016-17.
In June alone, 16,235 patients did not see a specialist within the 14-day guarantee set out in the NHS constitution. Only 91.1% of 182,348 urgent referrals were seen on time, missing the 93% target. Almost two-thirds of hospitals failed to meet the target, with a third missing it by at least 10 percentage points.
Other cancer waiting time targets were also missed, with some breaches being the widest on record. Macmillan Cancer Support warned that performance is 'slipping'. Moira Fraser, the charity's director of policy, said: 'It mustn't be forgotten that at the heart of these figures are thousands of cancer patients and their families having their lives put on hold for months on end as a result. This is unacceptable.'
NHS England attributed the delays to a deliberate push for early detection, which has increased urgent GP referrals to nearly two million a year. However, Tim Gardner of the Health Foundation thinktank noted that capacity has not kept pace with demand, and the 62-day treatment target has been missed for four and a half years.
Prime Minister Theresa May and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens have pledged to improve cancer care as part of the upcoming NHS 10-year plan, due in November.
