Cancer diagnosis waiting times have been cut for 80,000 people. The Government’s investment of a record £26 billion into the NHS as part of the Plans for Change and health service reforms have reduced the waiting times for patients awaiting a cancer diagnosis. With cancer affecting millions of people every year, the faster diagnoses not only improve patient outcomes, but also deliver Government promises to cut down waiting lists.
‘Too many cancer patients are facing agonisingly long waits for diagnosis and treatment,’ said Health Secretary Wes Streeting. ‘We are on a mission to drive down waiting times and our Plan for Change is already getting patients seen and treated faster, with 80,000 more diagnosed or ruled out with cancer between July and January.’
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In addition to this, more diagnostic centres are set to open in the next year. A drive to provide more out-of-hours appointments has directly resulted in 76.1% of people receiving a positive or negative diagnosis within a month between July 2024 to January 2025. Plans to open more community diagnostic centres are also underway to provide crucial diagnostic tests and scans 7 days a week by March 2026.
‘Providing rapid access to tests ensures that people with cancer can start treatment as soon as possible when it is most likely to be successful,’ said Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer. ‘So it is an important step forward that thousands more patients each month are getting the all-clear or a diagnosis within 4 weeks.’
Further developments can still be made to boost diagnoses even further. While the efforts to cut waiting times are welcomed by cancer organisations such as Cancer Research UK (CRUK), more could be done to provide better patient outcomes. Faster diagnoses, better informed treatment and more effective prevention could be implemented with the findings from the National Cancer Plan. While the Plan is currently calling for evidence, the Government aims to publish later this year.
‘Waiting for answers can be an incredibly worrying period for anyone affected, so we welcome the government’s commitment to further cut waits for cancer diagnosis and treatment this year,’ said CRUK chief executive, Michelle Mitchell. ‘The UK government has the opportunity to improve things further and faster with their upcoming National Cancer Plan for England. More people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before, and our health service needs a long-term plan to be able to properly prepare and help people live longer, better lives.’