Macmillan responds to NHS England’s June 2018 Cancer Waiting Times

Originally published: 9 August 2018

Commenting on Cancer Waiting Times for June 2018, published today by NHS England, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Director of Policy Moira Fraser said:

“Today’s announcement marks two and a half years of continuously missed key cancer waiting times* — with a staggering 66,000 patients waiting more than two months to start treatment in that time.

“This milestone is a bleak reflection of the pressures felt across all aspects of cancer care in the NHS and we are concerned to see performance now slipping for other cancer related targets**

“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.

“It is vital Prime Minister Theresa May delivers on her promise of improved cancer care and prioritises a costed plan to grow and sustain the NHS workforce, before this issue worsens.”

* Refers to the 62 day waiting times target to start treatment following an urgent referral from a GP.

** 2-week referral waits from GP to see a specialist and 62-day wait specifically from screening.

Factbox

  • The 62-day target was breached again in June 2018 — only 79% of patients in England started treatment within two months of being urgently referred by their GP with suspected cancer, against the target of 85%
  • The 62-day target has now been breached for two and a half years in a row.
  • Almost two thirds of NHS hospital trusts in England (65%) missed the 62-day target in June 2018, with 45 trusts — around one in 3 — missing it by 10 percentage points or more*
  • In the past 12 months, over 27,000 people waited more than two months for treatment to start after an urgent GP referral, including over 10,700 people who waited for more than three months**
  • Since the target was first breached in January 2014, around 110,000 people have waited more than two months for treatment to start
  • The two week wait for referral from a GP to see a specialist was also missed in June 2018, with 91% of patients seeing a specialist within two weeks of being urgently referred by their GP, against a target of 95%. This is the third month in a row that this target has been missed
  • 89% of patients started treatment within 62 days following referral from an NHS screening programme in June 2018, against a target of 90%, and this target has now been missed five times in the past six months

*This refers to all provider trusts at which 5 or more patients started cancer treatment in June 2018, which amounts to 142 trusts in total.

**Refers to July 2017 — June 2018 inclusive.

-Ends-

For further information, please contact:

Laura Routledge, Media & PR Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support.

0207 091 2063 (out of hours 07801 307068).

About Macmillan Cancer Support

Being told ‘you have cancer’ can affect so much more than your health — it can also affect your family, your job, even your ability to pay the bills. But you’re still you. We get that. And, after over 100 years of helping people through cancer, we get what’s most important: that you’re treated as a person, not just a patient.

It’s why we’ll take the time to understand you and all that matters to you, so we can help you get the support you need to take care of your health, protect your personal relationships and deal with money and work worries.

We’re here to help you find your best way through from the moment of diagnosis, so you’re able to live life as fully as you can. For information, support or just someone to talk to, call 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk.

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We are the Media and Public Relations team at Macmillan Cancer Support. Get the latest news here: https://medium.com/macmillan-press-releases-and-statements

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