{"id":28981,"date":"2023-05-11T11:12:39","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T11:12:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/?p=25664"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:12:46","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:12:46","slug":"cancer-waiting-times-latest-updates-and-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/cancer-waiting-times-latest-updates-and-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"image hero-image\"> <img width=\"620\" height=\"348\" src=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital.jpg\" class=\"attachment-featuredImage size-featuredImage\" alt=\"Too many people are waiting for a test\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital.jpg 620w, https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital-220x123.jpg 220w, https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" data-attachment-id=\"18610\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/2021\/02\/23\/over-100000-scotland-patients-in-test-backlog\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"620,348\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Copyright (c) 2018 Shutterstock. No use without permission.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"shutterstock_waiting_hospital\" data-image-description data-image-caption data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital-300x168.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/shutterstock_waiting_hospital.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Over the past few years, pressure on NHS cancer services has been mounting. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cancer waiting times, which show whether the health system is meeting its targets for quickly diagnosing and treating cancer help show us the extent of this pressure.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Testing for cancer, diagnosing it and starting treatment quickly saves stress and anxiety for people. Not only this, but cancer that\u2019s diagnosed and treated at an early stage, when it isn\u2019t too large and hasn\u2019t spread, is more likely to be treated successfully. Prompt diagnosis and treatment underpin this. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are four important targets that indicate how well cancer services are doing. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Here are the latest results in England for March 2023:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Urgent suspected cancer referrals: <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"><span>Target Missed<\/span> <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:40,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">83.9% of people were seen by a specialist within 2 weeks of an urgent suspected cancer referral. The target is 93%. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Faster Diagnosis Standard: <\/span><span>Target Missed <\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">74.2% of people were diagnosed, or had cancer ruled out, within 28 days of an urgent referral in March 2023. The target is 75% and was introduced in 2021, but has only been met once since then, in February 2023.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The 62-day target: <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Target Missed<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:40,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Only 63.5% of people in England received their diagnosis and started their first treatment within 2 months (or 62 days) of an urgent referral in March 2023. This is well below the target of 85% and this target has not been met since 2015, with a record low in January 2023.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The 31-day standard: <\/span><span>Target Missed <\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">91.9% of people started treatment within 31 days of doctors deciding a treatment plan in March 2023. The target is 96% and this performance was the 7<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> worst on record. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\">The <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\">above<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\"> data are specific to England. Scotland, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\">Wales<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW52159876 BCX0\"> and Northern Ireland also have their own cancer waiting times targets. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW52159876 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">What does this mean for people affected by cancer?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:40,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It can be easy to forget that behind these numbers are real people going through an incredibly anxious time. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In March 2023 alone, around 6,000 people who started cancer treatment in that month had waited longer than two months since their urgent referral. If the 62-day target was met, around 3,500 additional patients would have begun treatment on time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Quantifying the impact of missing targets and longer waits on patient outcomes is difficult as the research is limited. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The picture is different for different cancer types \u2013 some progress quicker than others \u2013 but we know the overall impact is likely to be negative. One study estimated that a 4-week delay to cancer surgery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/371\/bmj.m4087\">led to a 6-8% increased risk of dying<\/a>.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">People with more aggressive cancers are prioritised for early treatment where possible, but there can be good reasons why someone might experience a long wait for treatment. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For example, it can take longer to plan treatments intending to cure someone\u2019s cancer, and sometimes patients need prehabilitation before starting treatment to give them the best chance of recovering well. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But increases in missed targets mean people who need potentially lifesaving cancer treatments are waiting, and worrying, for longer \u2013 and that is a big concern.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Despite delays, people shouldn\u2019t put off coming forward if they are worried about symptoms. It\u2019s always better to be on the waiting list than not at all, and if doctors are concerned, they will push things through as quickly as possible. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Getting back on track<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:40,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We know that a major factor contributing to long waits for cancer diagnosis and treatment is chronic shortages of key NHS staff. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Government has committed to developing a Long Term Workforce Plan, which could address these workforce shortages and help get cancer services back on track. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">But that plan has now been delayed a number of times, and <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">w<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">hen it can <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">take 15 years to train an oncologist, radiologist or surgeon, every day without a plan is a step further away from getting cancer services to where they need to be.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">So we need to see that Long Term Workforce Plan published, clearly setting out how many staff we\u2019ll need in the next 5, 10 and 15 years. Crucially, this needs to be matched with the funding to recruit, train and retain those staff.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The challenges facing cancer services are significant and complex, but they are not insurmountable. In the coming months the Government has the opportunity deliver on its promise to tackle NHS waiting lists and make cancer a priority. Without action, people with cancer will continue to experience unacceptable delays for diagnosis and treatment. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"center\" readability=\"11.5\">\n<div class=\"quotation-marks\" readability=\"16\">\n<p>Though it\u2019s promising to see some progress, all cancer waiting time targets in England have been missed yet again. Behind today\u2019s numbers are patients who are anxious about their future and hard-working NHS staff who are stretched to capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The solution to tackling these delays lies in the hands of the Government who must show leadership and publish the long-awaited workforce plan for England. Without a fully-funded strategy to recruit, train and retain the staff we need, it will be difficult to improve cancer survival for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><cite>Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><h3 class=\"panel-title\">More on this topic<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/2023\/05\/11\/cancer-waiting-times-latest-updates\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the past few years, pressure on NHS cancer services has been mounting. Cancer waiting times, which show whether the health system is meeting its targets for quickly diagnosing and treating cancer help show us the extent of this pressure. Testing for cancer, diagnosing it and starting treatment quickly saves stress and anxiety for people. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42957,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28981\/revisions\/42957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}