Macmillan responds to NHSE December 2023 Cancer Waiting Times Data

Responding to NHS England December 2023’s Cancer Waiting Times Data, Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support says:

“Today’s data confirms the shocking truth that 2023 was the worst year yet for cancer treatment delays. These alarming figures mark a new low and highlight the desperate situation for people living with cancer.

“Behind the figures are real lives being turned upside down, with thousands of people waiting far too long to find out if they have cancer and to begin their treatment, causing additional anxiety at what is already a very difficult time. With over 3 million people in the UK living with cancer and an ageing population, this is only set to rise.

“The Prime Minister has admitted the UK Government’s failure to cut waiting lists, which is simply not good enough. It’s time to stick to your word and make cancer a priority. We want to see a long-term cancer strategy to ensure cancer care is fit for the future ensuring everybody with a cancer diagnosis gets the timely and quality care they so desperately need and deserve.”

Key facts

• 2023 was the ‘new worst year on record’ for cancer treatment delays in England
• 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, and more than three times as many people as just five years ago[i]
• 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[ii]
• The number of people who waited more than two months to start treatment following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer also rose to a new highest on record in 2023[iii]
• While there were some improvements in 2023 for the main diagnosis-focused 28-day target, there were still more than 800,000 people who waited more than four weeks to have a cancer diagnosis confirmed or ruled out, and the target has only been met once since it started being measured in April 2021[iv]
• 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[v]

References:

[i] 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 2018, 9,036 people waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so. In total since January 2018, more than 100,000 people with cancer in England have waited more than a month to start treatment.

[ii] As per ref 1. Refers to both the new and former versions of this target. The new 31-day target refers to the wait from either a decision to treat or earliest clinically appropriate date to first or subsequent treatments of cancer, so includes both people starting their first treatment for a new cancer diagnosis, and continuing existing treatment. The former version of the target focused only on those starting their first treatment for a new diagnosis.

[iii] As per ref 1. In 2023, more than 70,000 people waited more than two months to start treatment following an urgent referral from a GP for suspected cancer

[iv] As per ref 1.

[v] As per ref 1 and 2. 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