Historic national trends

Key points

  • Performance on cancer waiting times standards generally worsened over the 12 years from October 2011 to September 2023

  • This period started with all national objectives being met, but it ended with none of the objectives being met

  • The objective of 75% for the Faster Diagnosis Standard was met in only one month, after its introduction in 2021

  • Numbers of referrals for diagnosis of suspected cancer and for cancer treatment generally increased throughout the period

Two-week wait standard

Figure 1: Two-week wait standard - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Breast symptoms (where cancer was not suspected)

Figure 2: Two-week wait standard for breast symptoms - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard

Figure 3: 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

31-day decision-to-treat to treatment standard

Figure 4: 31-day treatment standard - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Surgery

Figure 5: 31-day treatment standard for surgery - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Systemic anti-cancer therapy

Figure 6: 31-day treatment standard for systemic anti-cancer therapy - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Radiotherapy

Figure 7: 31-day treatment standard for radiotherapy - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

62-day referral to treatment standard

Urgent GP referral

Figure 8: 62-day treatment standard after urgent GP referral - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Urgent screening referral

Figure 9: 62-day treatment standard after urgent screening referral - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)

Consultant upgrade

Figure 10: 62-day treatment standard after consultant upgrade - Time series of the percentage of patients within the standard (top) and the corresponding numerator and denominator (bottom)