Cancer care postcode lottery: Only one in four patients in some areas treated within 62-day target 

EMBARGO: 22.30 Friday 16th February 

• Fewer than one in four cancer patients were treated within 62-day target in some areas last year

• Close to 100,000 cancer patients did not start treatment within the 62-day standard in 2023

• Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal right for cancer patients to start receiving treatment within two-months

Shockingly low numbers of cancer patients are being treated within the 62-day target in some areas of England, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The party said it showed there was a “cancer care postcode lottery” across the country and reiterated calls for a legal guarantee for cancer patients to receive treatment within 62 days.

At Liverpool Women's NHS Trust just 23% of patients were treated within 62-days. At Royal Papworth it was 38% and at Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust it was just 44%. 31 NHS Trusts saw more than four in 10 patients not being treated within the 62-days last year. 

By contrast, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, 93% of patients were treated within two months, and at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust it was 88%. 

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust had the highest number of patients treated outside of the standard with 2,877. At University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust it was 2,424 and at University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust it was 2,327.

Overall nearly 100,000 cancer patients in England did not start their treatment within the 62 day target last year. 64% of cancer patients last year started their treatment within the 62-days, well below the government target of 85%.

The two-month target has been a government pledge since 2000, but hasn’t been met since 2015 and has never been written into law.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a legal two-month cancer treatment guarantee, to bring this postcode lottery of cancer care to an end. This would establish a new target for 100% of patients to start treatment for cancer within 62 days from urgent referral, with this right written into law. Currently this is only a government pledge, and too many are waiting too long for treatment.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

“It is heart-wrenching to see such a stark postcode lottery of cancer care across the country. We know how important it is to find and treat cancer early to give people the best chance of survival. Sadly, under this Conservative government, this is happening far too little.

“Behind every single one of these numbers is a story of fear, discomfort and anxiety for thousands of families up and down the country. This Conservative government has failed to prioritise cancer treatment times so people are simply not getting the care they need in time. It is a shameful indictment of their neglect of our health service. 

“Every patient should be entitled to a legal right to start their treatment within two-months to give them the best chance of beating this horrific disease. We need urgent investment in cancer facilities in the NHS, including radiotherapy machines and more cancer nurses. It has to be a driving force behind our attitude to healthcare to get cancer patients the treatment they deserve.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The House of Commons Library research can be found here.

Notes from the Library:

This is NHS Trust level annual figures for 2023 for the 62-day cancer waiting times standard. It to includes:

• The total number treated under the 62 day standard pathway.

• The total number seen within the standard.

• The total number not seen within the standard. 

• The percentage seen within 62 days.

The attached file contains the NHS Trust level data. The file excludes private providers as well as Trusts treating less than one patient in 2023 ( it is possible to have a 0.5 patient return where treatment is split across Trusts). The data is for the current 62 day waiting times standard which includes urgent referrals for suspected cancer, urgent referrals from screening procedures and consultant upgrades.

The first worksheet in the file shows the annual figures. If needed the second worksheet gives the monthly data on which the annual totals are based.

Please note that there were some Trust mergers in 2023. Yeovil District Hospital became part of Somerset Foundation Trust in April 2023 and Southport and Ormskirk Hospital became part of Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Trust in July 2023.