Cancer Research UK have conducted an analysis of NHS-wide performance data for patients in England seen in 2015. This analysis shows that 132,138 patients did not see a cancer specialist within the required 14 days or start treatment such as surgery or radiotherapy within the supposed maximum 31 after diagnosis, or 62 days after initial consultation and tests.
In some hospitals, the delays were so extreme that more than 6,000 patients were forced to wait 104 days or longer for their first treatment after being urgently referred by their GP. This figure should have been under 62 days according to cancer waiting-time standards introduced in 2009.
The figures show that 101,140 people with suspected cancer did not get to see a specialist within 14 days of being referred as urgent cases by their GP during 2015-16. A further 6,713 patients found to have the disease did not receive their first treatment within 31 days.
Doctors report that in some cases, delays may mean the chance to give curative treatment may be lost and there will be some people whose cancer gets worse while they wait for test results.
