97% of NHS trusts are missing cancer treatment targets in “shocking gap in care”
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Only 3% of NHS trusts met a crucial cancer treatment target last year, down from one in two in 2015, distressing new research from the Liberal Democrats has revealed.
The House of Commons Library data analysis looks at the number of trusts meeting a key target for 85% of patients to receive their first cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral.
Only three out of 125 trusts met the target in 2022, making up just 3% of the total. The research also shows that cancer waiting times were getting steadily worse far before the pandemic struck, showing the impact of years of Conservative neglect of the health service.
In 2019, fewer than one in four (23.9%) NHS trusts met the cancer treatment time target.
Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:
"These stark figures show that even before the pandemic struck, waiting times for cancer treatment were rising and the number of hospital trusts meeting vital targets were falling of a cliff.
“Now the situation is so bad that barely any hospitals are able to provide patients with the treatment they need on time.
"Patients are being left in distress, and the fault lies squarely with this Conservative Government that has been running the NHS into the ground for years. Ministers have consistently failed to plan ahead or provide adequate funding, while taking patients and NHS staff for granted.
"There is a shocking gap in cancer care from one area to another. Access to good quality care shouldn’t be determined by where you live in the country.
"Long waits for cancer patients can be the difference between life and death, it’s time the Government gave this crisis the attention it deserves."
ENDS
Notes to Editor
House of Commons Library data by NHS trust is available here
Source - NHS Cancer Waiting Time Statistics: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
