Half of NHS hospital trusts have missed a key two-week cancer diagnosis target every month for the past year, new figures show.
According to the health service, 93 percent of patients require an appointment with a specialist within two weeks of an urgent referral from their GP.
However, analysis of official data from the Library of the House of Commons shows that every month in 2022, 63 of the 132 English trusts (48 per cent) failed to do so.
Just five NHS trusts, making up less than 4 per cent of the total, have met the target every month over the past year.
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Experts warn that delays can reduce chances of survival and recovery, as the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.
In the worst performing trusts, less than half of patients were seen on time from December 2022, the study commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found.
Worst of all was Bristol and Weston University Hospital, where only 42 per cent of patients were seen within two weeks.
It was followed by Whittington Health (45 per cent), Liverpool University Hospitals (48 per cent) and North West Anglia (49 per cent).
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, said: “It is a national scandal that key targets are regularly missed and many people are anxiously awaiting a cancer diagnosis.
“It shows there are shocking gaps in cancer care depending on where you live in the country.
“The evidence shows us how important early diagnosis can be.
“The government must manage this crisis so that cancer patients receive the urgent care they need to give them the best chance of survival.
“It has to start with a good plan to recruit the NHS staff that the health system so desperately needs.”
The analysis rounded some numbers and excluded months for some trusts where they did not provide complete data.
NHS cancer data for December shows that only six in 10 patients started treatment within two months of an urgent general referral for cancer (red line), leaving 5381 (blue line) waiting more than 62 days for cancer treatment
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The results come a month after the government scrapped its long-term cancer plan, prompting Macmillan to accuse ministers of “putting lives at risk”.
Separate figures show 2022 saw its worst cancer waiting times ever, with more than 50,000 people waiting more than two weeks for a specialist after an urgent GP referral – more than 10 times the number a decade ago.
As record numbers start treatment, the number of people missing out on timely care is rising at a much faster rate, cancer charities warn.
Treatment delays meant that around 25,000 people in England with a confirmed diagnosis had to wait more than a month last year, five times as many as in 2012.
Ian Walker, Director of Policy, Information and Communications at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer patients, their families and loved ones have been waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, and have unfortunately been doing so for years.
“With a growing number of people in the UK expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the coming years, the task ahead is enormous.
“That’s why Cancer Research UK has joined forces with more than 60 charities to call on the UK Government to commit to an ambitious, long-term and fully funded strategy for cancer in England.
“In just one week, our petition has already collected more than 63,000 signatures.
“The #OneCancerVoice message is loud and clear: we must invest in world-class cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and care for all.”
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The latest NHS data shows a higher proportion of people with suspected cancer within the two-week waiting period in December compared to November.
“Dedicated to reducing the time between cancer referral and counselling, we have opened 92 community diagnostic centers that have performed more than 3 million tests, scans and examinations, including detecting cancer as early as possible.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
