Macmillan responds to NHS England’s latest Cancer Waiting Times data
Responding to NHS England’s latest Cancer Waiting Times data, Mairaid McMahon, Policy Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“Today’s data shows signs of improvement over the past year in some areas, but further decline in others. Despite the ongoing efforts of hardworking healthcare staff, there is still a long way to go. While it’s encouraging to see progress on early diagnosis, much more needs to be done to reduce the significant treatment delays that are throwing lives into chaos and causing huge amounts of anxiety. Cancer can impact people’s lives in so many different ways, from relationships to finance to emotional wellbeing; so having to also face an excruciating wait just to start treatment is an added burden that no one should have to bear.
The UK Government must prioritise a long-term strategy that revolutionises cancer care in England. This should include being diagnosed and treated quickly and supported every step of the way. If this becomes a reality, we can redefine what it means to face a cancer diagnosis across the country.
If you or a loved one are affected by cancer, we’re here, whatever you need to ask. Call Macmillan’s free Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, open every day, 8am to 8pm.”
Key facts
- In March 2024 there were over 58,000 people across England who waited more than four weeks to find out whether they had cancer or not following an urgent referral. Performance against this 28-day target fell compared with the previous month, and while it was higher than in March 2023, it is only the third time this target had been met since it was introduced[i].
- Although the 28-day target was met, the other two national targets were missed again in March, showing that NHS cancer services in England are still struggling under intense pressure[ii]
- For both the 31-day and 62-day targets, average performance for April 2023 to March 2024 was worse than for the previous 12 months[iii]
- 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 around 2,900 throughout March 2024[iv]
- In March 2024, there were more than 4,600 times when people with a confirmed cancer diagnosis waited more than a month to have the treatment they needed[v]
- Recent Macmillan analysis shows 2023 was the worst year on record for cancer treatment delays in England[vi]
- Other new 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[vii]
- 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[viii]
References:
[1] NHS England. Cancer waiting times. CWT CRS — National Time Series Oct 2009 — March 2024 with Revisions. In March 2024, 58,506 people waited for more than four weeks following an urgent referral for suspected cancer to be told they either had cancer or for cancer to be definitively excluded. Performance against the target was 77.3% in March 2024, compared with 78.1% in February 2024 and 74.1% in March 2023
[1] As per ref 1
[1] As per ref 1. For the 31-day target, average performance from April 2023 to March 2024 was 90.1%, compared with 91.4% from April 2022 to March 2023. For the 62-day target, the figures were 64.6% and 64.9%
[1] NHS England. Management information on cancer.
[1] As per ref 1
[1] 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
[1] 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’
[1] 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
[i] NHS England. Cancer waiting times. CWT CRS — National Time Series Oct 2009 — March 2024 with Revisions. In March 2024, 58,506 people waited for more than four weeks following an urgent referral for suspected cancer to be told they either had cancer or for cancer to be definitively excluded. Performance against the target was 77.3% in March 2024, compared with 78.1% in February 2024 and 74.1% in March 2023
[ii] As per ref 1
[iii] As per ref 1. For the 31-day target, average performance from April 2023 to March 2024 was 90.1%, compared with 91.4% from April 2022 to March 2023. For the 62-day target, the figures were 64.6% and 64.9%
[iv] NHS England. Management information on cancer.
[v] As per ref 1
[vi] 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
[vii] 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’
[viii] 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
