Only half of people with cancer are diagnosed within NHS target time, analysis finds
Cancer patients have to wait longer than four years ago for their diagnosis, new analysis finding only half of NHS is diagnosed at the UK’s 28 -day target.
Bladder, prostate and kidney cancer, such as urological cancer people for 29 percent of emergency referrals were met on time.
Cancer Research UK, in its report, means diagnostic delays, an emergency cancer referral to start treatment for one -third of patients should wait more than 62 days.
In the last three months of 2021, 57.3 percent of the diagnoses were given within 28 days, but this fell to 52.3 percent in the middle of 2024.
Jon Shelton, the President of the Cancer Intelligence of the Charitable Organization, said the speed is compulsory. “The faster we can diagnose for those who have cancer, the faster we can start treatment,” he said. Independent.
“The longer we delay this process, the more negative effects for some patients. The days waiting for patients mean concern nights and therefore has an impact on the longer waiting for patients.”
From April to June 2024, more than 25,000 people had to wait more than 28 days to diagnose cancer.
The report also found that 53.8 percent of people with cancer were diagnosed within 28 days between October 2021 and June 2024, compared to 71.7 percent for those excluded.
The faster diagnosis target (FDS) aims to diagnose or crop cancer for 75 percent of people within 28 days of an emergency referral.
NHS has reported improvement in this goal in recent months, but this is due to the exclusion of more people rather than being diagnosed. The study has determined that things have worsened over time for people diagnosed with cancer.
NHS, cancer diagnosis or excluded people for the number of people on Thursday will publish separate figures, he said.
Cancer Research UK government called on the number of people who have diagnosed against cancer to declare the number of people.
Cancer Research UK, some types of cancer waiting time is much longer than 28 days, he said. More than half of the people identified after urological cancer referral waited for more than 42 days.
Mr. Shelton said: “We speak for a long time and we know from the evidence that even a small growth of a tumor can lead to worse consequences in some cases, and all depends on the type of tumor.”
Michelle Mitchell, General Manager of Cancer Research UK, said, “Waiting for cancer can make every day feel forever.” He said.
The Cancer Research Government called on to meet the waiting times of this parliament to the end of this parliament and to increase its FDS target to 80 percent. The original target offer was 95 percent in 2015.
Mitchell added: “The British government needs to take action. The upcoming national cancer plan for England should include a new commitment to diagnose cancers and a commitment to meet all cancer waiting time targets, including an increasing FDS target.”
A NHS spokesman said: “NHS sees and treats more patients than ever – with the highest level of survival rates of all time – and we know that fast diagnosis and treatment is very important.“ Therefore, we make our diagnostic goals more ambitious, use lung and liver scanning trucks and offer home tests to capture earlier cases.
“The Ministry of Health and Social Care will ask NHS to target 80 percent from March 2026 onwards.”
A DHSC spokesman said: uz We know that there are more to do and we shed light on the inequalities that hold our health service for a long time.
“While the National Cancer Plan continues to benefit from the latest innovations, the National Cancer Plan will determine how to put back the foreground of global cancer care to give patients the latest care.
