Cancer patients are facing a ‘desperate situation’ after the number waiting more than a month to start treatment reached a record high last year, charities have warned.
More than 30,000 people waited more than a month after being told they needed surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, according to ‘alarming’ new data from NHS England.
This is the highest annual figure since current records began in 2009 and more than three times as many people as five years ago.
It comes amid an increased focus on NHS cancer services, following King Charles’ revelation this week that he is being treated for an unspecified form of the disease.
Gemma Peters, CEO of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘Today’s data confirms the shocking truth that 2023 was the worst year yet for cancer treatment delays.
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More than 30,000 people waited more than a month after being told they needed surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, ‘alarming’ new data from NHS England shows.
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‘These alarming figures mark a new low and highlight the desperate situation for people with cancer.
‘Behind the numbers, real lives are being turned upside down, with thousands of people waiting far too long to find out if they have cancer and start their treatment, causing additional anxiety at what is already a very difficult time.
‘With more than 3 million people in Britain living with cancer and an aging population, this is only set to increase.
‘We want to see a long-term cancer strategy to ensure cancer care is fit for the future, so that everyone with a cancer diagnosis receives the timely and quality care they so desperately need and deserve.’
The NHS figures also show that there has been a sharp increase in the number of people experiencing long waiting times in A&E, although the overall NHS waiting list continues to fall.
At the end of December, there were an estimated 7.6 million treatments waiting to be carried out in England, involving 6.37 million patients.
This is slightly lower than the 7.61 million treatments and 6.39 million patients at the end of November and the third month in a row that the list has fallen.
But the number of people waiting in A&E departments for more than 12 hours from a decision to admit them until they were actually admitted was 54,308 in January, a sharp increase from 44,045 in December.
This is the second highest figure ever, just below the record of 54,573 in December 2022.
NHS England said A&E and ambulance services had their busiest January on record.
Junior doctors in England staged the longest strike in the history of the NHS last month, lasting six full days from January 3 to January 9.
Rishi Sunak admitted earlier this week that the government has failed to deliver on its promise to reduce the overall NHS waiting list.
The Prime Minister said the government has “not made enough progress” but that industrial action in healthcare has “had an impact”.
Other NHS figures show cancer services improved slightly in December, compared to November, but performance remains well below target.
A total of 74.2 percent of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer in December 2023 were diagnosed with cancer or ruled out within 28 days, compared to 71.9 percent the previous month, but below the target of 75 percent.
The percentage of patients who waited longer than 62 days for an urgent referral for presumptive cancer treatment or a doctor’s upgrade to their first definitive cancer treatment in December was 65.9 percent, up slightly from 65.2 percent in November, but also below the target of 85 percent.
Brett Hill, head of health and protection at consultancy Broadstone, said: ‘The King’s shock cancer diagnosis has refocused attention on the importance of early detection and prompt treatment of serious medical conditions.
‘As more and more people lack access to timely treatment and diagnosis for their health problems, it is an unfortunate reality that opportunities are being missed to detect some serious conditions at an early stage, which will ultimately lead to longer, more complex treatment needs and worse outcomes.”
And Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Thousands of cancer patients across England are facing unacceptable waiting times before being diagnosed and treated.
‘This week the UK government admitted it has not made enough progress on its pledge to cut NHS waiting lists – patients and hardworking staff continue to suffer.
‘The UK Government must take urgent action and provide additional investment for the NHS, coupled with reforms to cancer services, to ensure cancer patients get the care they deserve.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘These figures also show that we saw a record number of urgent cancer referrals last year, and record numbers of patients were diagnosed with cancer within four weeks or were completely cleared.
‘We have invested £2.3 billion in accelerating diagnosis and launched 153 Community Diagnostic Centers across England, which will help us achieve our target of detecting 75 per cent of all cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. ‘