Our response to NHS England’s reduction in the number of cancer waiting times targets

Response - 17 August 2023

Healthwatch England welcomes NHS England’s simplification of cancer waiting times data. A simplified care timeline can help patients and their loved ones to have a better understanding of what milestones and timelines they can expect during their cancer treatment journey.
A mature man sits in his hospital bed waiting to listen to a doctor explain his diagnosis whilst being consoled by his wife . In the background a young nurse adjusts his curtain screen so that he can hear the news in private .

Focusing on key issues like time to diagnosis and treatment brings NHS England much closer to measuring the things that matter to patients.

Healthwatch also welcomes the fact that new ways of collecting data still allow decision makers to address regional differences in cancer waiting times, such as variation in waiting times for different cancer diagnoses or treatment types.

But our research suggests there is still much to do to ensure cancer is flagged at the earliest opportunity and that pathways to diagnosis and treatment are as smooth as possible.

This is why, as we moved towards more integrated services, Healthwatch is calling for the 28-day diagnosis and 62-day treatment targets to be measured from the moment a referral is made by a GP, rather than when a referral is accepted by the hospital.

And in the longer term, Healthwatch is calling for targets which measure people’s real-time experience of care, as well as total numbers and annual experience reporting. It will also be important to develop measures which look at the full patient experience to address ongoing challenges around referral black holes between presentation of symptoms to a GP in the first instance and receiving a specialist care appointment.

Once successfully implemented, there should be an ambition from 2025/26 to ensure that 95% of patients are told they do or don’t have cancer within 28 days of a GP referral. The announced target reflects current performance and challenges in the NHS, but this must not become the norm over the longer term. Meeting the 75% target would still leave one in four unsure of their diagnosis after 28 days.

Responding to NHS England’s announcement, our Chief Executive Louise Ansari said: 

“We welcome cutting the number of cancer waiting time targets from nine to three.  

“Focusing on people’s concerns about diagnosis and treatment will improve clarity for patients and their families. And a simpler care timeline can also provide clarity for those waiting for a cancer diagnosis or treatment. 

“But many stories shared with us have highlighted a data ‘black hole’ - the time it takes to get a referral from a GP in the first place.  

“Targets are most helpful when they reflect the entire patient journey. This is why understanding all stages of people’s experience should start much earlier in the process”.  

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