Cancer charities urge action as England misses treatment targets
Cancer charities call for urgent action as England's 62-day treatment target remains unmet, with only 71% of patients treated on time.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Cancer charities in England have renewed their call for urgent government action after new figures showed the country is still missing key treatment targets. The target, set out in a national cancer plan published in February, says 80% of patients should start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, rising to 85% by March 2029. But the current figure stands at just 71%, which is below the level when the plan was first announced.
New analysis suggests that another 2,800 patients would need to be seen every month in England's hospitals to hit the official targets. Charities argue the government has not grasped the scale of the problem. One patient, Alan, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in June last year, waited nearly five months for surgery. Although the operation cleared the cancer, the delay meant it was more complex because the disease had grown and spread. He described the wait as "turmoil", constantly asking why nobody was helping him.
Some hospitals are showing improvement. Salisbury District Hospital, for example, has reported progress, though it is still not on target. Staff there say they are busier than ever, with more clinics and a growing workload. A spokesperson said that with more staff and equipment they could cope with the work coming through. Milton Keynes Hospital had seen a sharp decline in the proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days, but says it has now turned a corner. A representative stressed that long waits do not mean nothing is happening, and that teams are working hard to provide the best care to as many people as possible.
The government said waiting times were moving in the right direction, but acknowledged there was more to do. It pointed to a plan to help get more patients diagnosed and treated sooner. However, charities and patients remain concerned that the pace of change is too slow, and that every month of delay reduces the chance of survival by around 10% on average.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| An extra 2,800 patients per month would need to be seen in England's hospitals to hit official cancer targets. | |
| For each month a cancer patient waits before starting treatment, their chance of survival falls by about 10% on average. | |
| Milton Keynes Hospital saw a sharp decline in the proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days but says it has now turned a corner. | |
| Only 71% of cancer patients started treatment within 62 days of urgent referral, below the 80% target. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the shortfall in cancer treatment targets, using patient stories and hospital examples to illustrate the human impact. It highlighted the gap between the government's plan and reality, and included a government response. The tone was factual but sympathetic to patients, with a clear emphasis on the need for more staff and resources.
- “I don't think they've come to terms with the size of the problem or if they have It's in the too difficult to deal with pile, but the problem is for every year They leave it. It gets worse.”
- “Why is nobody helping me? Why am I left like this?”
- “Long waits doesn't mean nothing's happening Actually, we've got the team working really hard every day by the best care as to as many people as possible”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.