NHS Confederation responds to the Liberal Democrats’ research on cancer waiting times

Responding to data from the Liberal Democrats which reveals that the number of people waiting longer than four months for cancer treatment has more than doubled since 2020, Rory Deighton, director of the NHS Confederation’s Acute Network, said:

“Health leaders and their teams are doing all they can to recover cancer service performance. The fact that NHS cancer checks have more than doubled in the last decade and more cancers are being caught at stages one and two when they are easier to treat is testament to their hard work and planning.

"Yet it is very worrying to see that some patients are still waiting far too long to begin treatment following an urgent referral. 

"While the pandemic led to thousands of cancer treatments being cancelled or delayed, a decade of underinvestment and recent workforce shortages have also created bottlenecks for cancer patients. The roll out of rapid diagnostics has been very successful in diagnosing cancers quicker, but there is a risk that this creates more patients waiting for treatment than can currently be seen.

“Our members also welcome public health measures to tackle smoking and obesity – including the proposed smoking ban – which will help reduce the prevalence of some of the most common cancers.”