Labour failing to meet national targets for faster cancer diagnosis despite ambitious pledges
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Labour has been urged to take 'urgent action' on cancer waiting times after new figures revealed the NHS is missing all three of its key targets in England.
The Government has said it wants 80 per cent of patients with suspected cancer to either receive a diagnosis or have the disease ruled out within 28 days by March 2029.
But as of September, this figure was just 76.2 per cent - down from 78.6 per cent in August.
As a result, more than 71,500 suspected cancer cases took longer than four weeks to reach an outcome in September alone.
Charities warned that this delay risks patients missing out on 'vital treatment'.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) also found that fewer than six in ten people – 55 per cent – eventually diagnosed received confirmation within the four-week target.
'Waiting to find out whether you have cancer or not can be agonising,' the charity's chief executive, Michelle Mitchell said.
'These figures show that those who ultimately receive the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis aren't finding out quickly enough.
Labour has been urged to take 'urgent action' on cancer waiting times after new figures revealed the NHS is missing all three of its key targets in England
'On top of that emotional strain, people are being dealt a double blow as delays to diagnosis risks delays to getting vital treatment.
'The UK Government needs to take urgent action on cancer waiting times in England including ensuring the NHS has the investment it needs in staff and resources or people with cancer will continue to suffer.'
September's NHS figures also reveal differences in how quickly different types of suspected cancer are diagnosed or ruled out.
Patients referred with suspected blood cancers faced lengthy waits, with only 61 per cent receiving a diagnosis or having cancer ruled out within 28 days.
Performance was also below target for patients with suspected lower gastrointestinal cancers (64.6 per cent), urological cancers (65.6 per cent) and gynaecological cancers (67.1 per cent).
According to CRUK, testicular cancer was the only form of the disease to exceed the NHS target among patients ultimately diagnosed, with 84.3 per cent receiving confirmation within 28 days over the past year.
The latest NHS data also showed the health service continues to miss its treatment targets.
Only 91.5 per cent of patients started treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, against a target of 96 per cent by 2029.
Meanwhile, just 70.7 per cent began their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral for suspected cancer, below the NHS's long-term target of 85 per cent.
'Behind every long wait or delay is a person whose life could be on hold,' said Chris Ransom, head of services at Macmillan Cancer Support.
'It's disappointing that so many people are still waiting too long for a diagnosis or to start treatment.'
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'Cancer waiting times are moving in the right direction, with all three cancer standards better than a year ago and around 290,000 more people over the last year getting diagnosed on time or having cancer ruled out, compared to the year before the election.
'But we know there is much more to do. Our National Cancer Plan will help more people to get diagnosed earlier and begin treatment sooner, giving them the best possible chances of recovery and survival.'
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