Patients with suspected skin and breast cancer have experienced the largest increase in waiting times of everyone urgently referred to a cancer specialist, with one in 20 patients now facing the longest waits, analysis of NHS England data shows.
Almost 10,000 patients referred by a GP to a cancer specialist had to wait for more 28 days – double the supposed maximum 14-day waiting time – in July. Three-quarters of them were suspected of having skin, breast or lower gastrointestinal cancer, a Guardian analysis has revealed.
In total, 53,000 people in England waited more than two weeks to see a cancer specialist. That is 22% of all the patients urgently referred for a cancer appointment by their GPs.
Minesh Patel, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said people were waiting “far too long for diagnosis or vital treatment”. Patients “are worried about the impact of these delays on their prognosis and quality of care”.
“The NHS has never worked harder,” said Matt Sample, the policy manager at Cancer Research UK, but patients dealing with long waits “reflects a broader picture of some of the worst waits for tests and treatments on record”.
“When just a matter of weeks can be enough for some cancers to progress, this is unacceptable.”
The proportion of patients facing the longest waits for an urgent investigation for cancer is seven times the rate recorded six years ago. Between May and July 2016, there was a monthly average of only 0.5% of people waiting more than four weeks compared with 3.8% during the same period in 2022.
But the situation has deteriorated the most for patients with breast and skin cancer. In 2016 only 0.3% of the patients with suspected breast cancer and 0.6% of those with skin tumours faced the longest waits. That figure is 16 and eight times higher now, soaring to a monthly average of 5% of the patients between May and July 2022.
In contrast, just 1.3% of those with suspected testicular, brain and haematological tumours wait more than 28 days to see a specialist, increasing by one percentage point since 2016.
For Melanie Sturtevant, associate director for policy, evidence and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, “such a large increase” was deeply concerning.
“Breast cancer services are now receiving incredibly high numbers of urgent breast referrals every month and combined with the severe breast cancer workforce shortages which existed before Covid-19, this has resulted in spiralling waiting times despite the tireless efforts of NHS staff.”
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has the largest number of breast tumour patients in England, but women seen there also face one of the longest waits. On average, between May and July this year, more than half of the patients were seen by an oncologist after 28 days of an urgent referral from their GPs.
Looking at all cancers, the trust also recorded the worst rate for patients waiting more than four weeks, with a monthly average of 22% of those with suspected cancer seen by a specialist after four weeks between May and July this year.
A spokesperson for the trust said there had been an increase in the demand above pre-pandemic levels, but “our teams continue to work extremely hard to improve our overall cancer performance and achieve the two-week wait for urgent cancer referrals”.
The picture is similar in many parts of the country, with almost three-quarters of the 127 cancer care providers analysed missing the two-week target – at least 93% of the patients with suspected cancer should be seen by a specialist within 14 days of an urgent referral from their GPs.
“Cancer must be a priority for this government,” said Sample. “We’re pleased [the health secretary] Thérèse Coffey has recommitted to a 10-Year Cancer Plan, but now we need to see action.
“That means delivering a comprehensive and fully funded cancer plan that transforms cancer services from world lagging to world leading.”
The plan “needs to include details on how the government will train and retain more cancer professionals, so that all people with cancer get the timely and quality care they need and deserve”, said Patel. “We cannot wait any longer.”
