Number of cancer patients waiting twice as long as they should to start cancer treatment has doubled since 2020, figures show

The number of cancer patients waiting doubly arsenic agelong arsenic they should to commencement curen has doubled since 2020, figures show.

Almost 16,000 patients person waited much than 4 months to person crab attraction aft receiving an urgent referral complete nan past 4 years.

This is doubly arsenic agelong arsenic nan NHS target which requires curen to commencement wrong 2 months of erstwhile crab is first suspected.

Experts described nan delays arsenic 'worrying', informing agelong waits now could costs lives successful years to come.

Analysis by nan Liberal Democrats showed 6,334 patients waited complete 124 days past twelvemonth - complete double nan 2,922 successful 2020.

More than 1,100 crab patients were near waiting much than 6 months to commencement curen past year, according to results from a Freedom of Information request.

Data was received from 69 retired of 137 acute wellness trusts successful nan UK, meaning nan existent numbers will beryllium acold higher.

Long waits astatine University Hospitals Leicester almost quadrupled pinch 484 patients spending much than 4 months connected nan waiting database compared to 122 successful 2020.

Some 163 were kept waiting for much than 6 months, a much than five-fold emergence from 31 complete nan aforesaid period.

Similarly, Leeds Teaching Hospitals saw 303 patients hold 4 months past year, compared pinch 120 successful 2020.

One diligent astatine nan Frimley NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey, started curen much than 2 years - 811 days - aft first being urgently referred.

Another astatine nan Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust, Essex, waited 505 days to person treatment, while 1 astatine nan East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust spent 496 days connected nan waiting list.

Dr Owen Jackson, Director of Policy astatine Cancer Research UK, said: 'Behind these missed targets are patients - friends, family and loved ones - who are facing unacceptably agelong and anxious waits for curen aft already knowing that they person cancer.

'The reality is that nan two-month curen target has not been met since 2015 - and that represents a semipermanent nonaccomplishment to scheme and put successful crab services.'

He called for much unit and instrumentality for nan NHS, alongside betterment to crab services.

'Without this, crab patients will proceed to look moreover much fearfulness and anxiety, during what is already a stressful clip successful their lives,' he added.

Health leaders said NHS crab checks person much than doubled successful nan past decade pinch much cancers caught early.

Strikes by inferior doctors and consultants besides took their toll, pinch much than 7,000 crab operations person been delayed arsenic a consequence of nan business action.

Rory Deighton, head of nan NHS Confederation's Acute Network, said wellness leaders 'are doing each they can' to retrieve crab work performance.

'The rotation retired of accelerated diagnostics has been very successful successful diagnosing cancers quicker, but location is simply a consequence that this creates much patients waiting for curen than tin presently beryllium seen.

'Our members besides invited nationalist wellness measures to tackle smoking and obesity - including nan projected smoking prohibition - which will thief trim nan prevalence of immoderate of nan astir communal cancers.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said £2.3 cardinal had been invested into Community Diagnostic Centres crossed England which are speeding up test for cancer.

He said: 'The NHS has seen and treated grounds numbers of crab patients complete nan past 2 years, pinch endurance rates improving crossed almost each types of crab - and it is making existent advancement successful reducing agelong waiting times for crab diagnosis, pinch latest information showing that complete 78 per cent of patients waited little than 28 days for their test successful February.'