Latest News - Cancer Waiting Times
Waiting for news about cancer can be an anxious time. Read more to find out what you can do, and how we can help.
69,000
patients waited longer than the 62-day target time for therapy within the past year.
5,000
cancer patients are waiting longer than 2 months for treatment.
32.8%
of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer waited over 28 days in October for a diagnosis or for cancer to be ruled out.
What are the current cancer waiting times?
Waiting times are the worst on record. The large number of patients on the cancer waiting list creates demand for appointments that surpasses availability, resulting in delays to diagnosis and treatment.
- In September 2022, over a quarter of patients were not seen by a specialist within the target 2-week timeframe from GP referral.
- New NHS figures also show record waiting times for people needing cancer treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy:
- In mid-September, more than 5,000 cancer patients were waiting beyond the two-months target to start their first treatment.
- In total in the past year, 69,000 patients waited longer than the two-month target for therapy.
- In comparison to the same period in 2017-2018, the number of people waiting for therapy has doubled.
If you are experiencing a wait, there are things you can do.
What do you need support with?
What can you do if you're waiting to see a cancer specialist for a diagnosis?
If you are waiting to see a specialist, there are things you can do:
- Waiting to hear about cancer can be an anxious time. Understanding what to expect can help you feel more in control.
- You could research what will happen at your appointment and write down a list of questions to ask the consultant when you are seen.
- If you have not been seen within the target 2-week timescale, we encourage you to chase the hospital for your appointment.
How we can help:
- Chasing your appointment on your behalf
- Guiding you through what to expect to provide reassurance
- Helping you collate a list of questions for your cancer specialist
- Guiding you through how to seek help and who is best to go to
- Easing anxiety by speaking to a Cancer Nurse who can answer your questions and attend to your concerns
Cancer Nurse Specialist at Reframe, Rebecca Minton, says "we encourage you to keep pushing to be seen if you have not heard within the target timescale. We can help chase your appointment on your behalf to ensure you get access to care and to take the pressure and time of chasing off you."
What can you do if you're waiting for cancer treatment?
When you are given your diagnosis, you can ask to be given approximate timescales for treatment, so you know what to expect. Approximate timescales can also be found online, but do vary in different areas.
To help relieve any anxiety and make you feel more in control, before you start your treatment you could:
- Research to understand more about what happens during your treatment
- Learn more about what to expect after treatment
- Make any lifestyle changes to improve your physical or emotional wellbeing ahead of treatment
- Speak to friends and family about your feelings and ask for their support
How we can help:
- Chasing your appointments for treatment
- Chasing reports from investigations to ensure they are received and reviewed by your specialist
- Guiding you through what to expect so you feel prepared and more in control
- Explaining treatments, side effects, and how you may feel post-treatment (whether that's from chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery)
- Giving you hints and tips on what you can do before treatment to improve your physical or emotional wellbeing
- Guiding on pre-hab activities you can do, relevant to your planned treatment
- Suggesting alternative complementary therapies for relaxation or symptom control
- Providing reassurance by answering any of your questions or attending to your concerns
- Arranging second opinions on your treatment plan if you would like to, while you are waiting for treatment to start
We can provide ongoing support until treatment begins and beyond - so you have someone to turn to whenever you have a question or concern. Research suggests that the more prepared you are, the better the outcome.
Reframe Cancer Nurse Specialist, Rebecca, advises "Do not read too much on the internet or social media, seek advice from a reliable source such as Reframe, Macmillan or Cancer Research UK. Start to document questions you may want to ask at your next appointment and ensure someone is going to come along with you to make notes, as you may not be able to retain all of the information."
"Whilst waiting for treatment, you could make some changes to improve your physical and mental health. Lifestyle changes like: maintaining a good diet, getting adequate sleep, exercising regularly, and stopping smoking or drinking alcohol in excess. If you are struggling to sleep; meditation, exercising or getting fresh air can help. Using complementary therapies for relaxation and symptom control can also be a good use of this time. Furthermore, doing pre-hab exercises can make a big difference, such as breathing exercises to help recover after an anaesthetic, pelvic floor exercises to improve recovery post-op after prostate or female gynaecological surgery, or arm and shoulder exercises for breast surgery."
There could still be thousands of missing cancer cases. Are you concerned about getting symptoms checked?
Researching who you can seek advice from or be seen by can help if you're concerned about getting symptoms checked:
- Speak to your GP about your concerns and how to be referred for diagnosis.
- Some cancer types have self-referral schemes. Some local NHS trusts and GPs run schemes for cancers including prostate, breast and skin cancer.
- If you have PMI, you may be able to self-refer yourself to be seen quicker by a specialist.
How we can help:
- Talking through your concerns and symptoms and identify where the best place is to be seen
- Talking through family history and medical history to identify any risk factors
- Guiding you through how to talk about your symptoms at your GP appointment and what to expect
- Acting as your advocate by chasing up appointments
How to get support from Reframe
We are cancer experts and can be the person in your corner to talk to when you need reassurance, to offload, or have your questions answered. We can take the stress away from navigating appointments and treatment. Our support is personalised to you and addresses your specific needs.
Contact us for free, no obligation advice to find out how we can support you.
Get support today
References:
1. BBC. Cancer Care Delays: How Bad Are They In Your Area? 10 November 2022. Accessed 23 November 2022.
2. The Times. Worst-ever NHS Waiting Times Are Costing Lives, Say Doctors' Leaders. 10 November 2022. Accessed 23 November 2022
3. British Medical Association. NHS Backlog Data Analysis. Updated November 2022. Accessed 23 November 2022