The latest monthly statistics from NHS England suggest more than 90.1 per cent of people with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral.
According to the cancer waiting times for September 2019, which were released yesterday (14 November), 95.5 per cent of treated patients began first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving a diagnosis of cancer, all cancers. This rose to 96.6 per cent of people treated for breast cancer and 96.8 per cent for lung cancers.
However, by 62 days, just three-quarters of treated patients initiated first definitive treatment for any cancer (76.9%). This dropped to 70.3 per cent for urological cancers (excluding testicular cancer), 69.3 per cent for lung cancers and just 66.2 per cent for lower gastrointestinal cancers.
Twenty-four of 325 providers achieved performance scores of 100 per cent for initiation of first definitive treatment within 31 days of urgent GP referral.
Last year, over 34,000 people with cancer waited beyond two months for treatment. On all eight measures collected, 2019-2020 performance is lower than the previous year.
