Background
Shorter cancer waiting times can lead to earlier diagnosis, faster treatment, lower risk of complications, enhanced patient experience and improved cancer outcomes. Since October 2023 the NHS has had three cancer waiting times measures, reduced from nine following the 2022 review of NHS access standards.
In February 2026 the NHS published a new cancer plan, with ambitions to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment, and a focus on how the NHS can adopt innovative treatments to transform care. The plan sets out the objectives to meet all cancer waiting time standards by March 2029.
Here, we look at how the NHS in England performs against these standards. Two of the measures can also be found in the QualityWatch performance dashboard which is updated monthly.
Wait time for a cancer diagnosis
Waiting for a diagnosis can be a very stressful experience for patients and their loved ones, making reduced wait times helpful in alleviating patients from needless worry if cancer is not detected. For people who do have cancer, reduced waiting times can result in earlier detection and shorter time to begin treatment, although waiting times can be longer for patients who ultimately need treatment than for people given the all clear.
A target set by NHS England in April 2021 mandated faster diagnosis by March 2024, such that at least 75% of patients either receive a cancer diagnosis or have it ruled out within four weeks (28 days) of an urgent GP referral.
The operational standard of 75% was almost met for the first time in February 2022, but the performance wasn’t sustained. Since February 2024, when 78% of patients waited less than four weeks to receive a cancer diagnosis, the target has been met intermittently. In April 2026, the target was met, with 76% of patients waiting less than 4 weeks for a cancer diagnosis. The 2025/26 planning guidance set out a new target of 80% to be met by March 2029.
Wait time for cancer treatment following decision to treat
The NHS standard is that 96% of patients should wait for less than a period of one month (31 days) from a decision to treat to any first cancer treatment. This standard is applicable from October 2023 onwards.
This standard has not yet been met. In April 2026, the proportion of patients waiting less than one month to receive any first cancer treatment was 91.5% – short of the standard by 4.5 percentage points.
Wait time for cancer treatment following referral/screening
The NHS standard is that 85% of patients should wait for less than a period of two months (62 days) from a GP urgent referral, NHS cancer screening, or consultant upgrade to any first cancer treatment. This standard is applicable from October 2023 onwards but has not yet been met. The NHS planning guidance has set an objective of 80% by March 2027.
Performance fluctuates from month to month, but the overall trend is a slow improvement since 2023. In April 2026, 72% of patients waited for less than 2 months for cancer treatment following referral/screening – short of the standard by 13 percentage points, and also falling short of the objective for 2027 by 8 percentage points.
Wait times for cancer pathways (old standards)
For the first part of a patient's journey, an old target states that following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer, at least 93% of patients should be seen by a specialist within two weeks. The standard is the same for patients with breast symptoms (where cancer is not initially suspected).
Between 2009 and 2014, the percentage of people with suspected cancer having their first consultant appointment within two weeks of an urgent GP referral fluctuated at around 95%. From 2015 to 2018, average yearly performance dropped slightly to about 94%, after which it has declined year on year. The two-week standard has not been met since Q4 2017/18 (January to March 2018). In Q4 2022/23 (January to March 2023), 84% of patients had their first consultant appointment within two weeks.
For the second part of a patient's journey, on old target states that 96% of patients should start any type of treatment for a new primary cancer within one month (31 days) from the decision to treat. Up until Q3 2019/20 (October to December 2019), the target was met. Since then, performance has fallen to 91% in Q4 2022/23.
Based on an old target, the entire process of a patient’s journey from an urgent GP referral to starting their first treatment for cancer should take place within two months (62 days) for 85% of the patient population. The proportion of patients waiting less than two months to start cancer treatment following an urgent GP referral has decreased significantly over time, from 87% in Q4 2008/09 to 59% in Q4 2022/23 – the worst performance since records began. The target has not been met since Q3 2013/14.
Due to the implementation of the new standards in October 2023, this dataset and chart representing the old standards have not been updated since Q4 2022/23.
About this data
These indicators use data from NHS England derived from patient records held on the Cancer Waiting Times Database. The national levels of activity and performance are provider-based figures. For further information outlining the methodology, please see the NHS England website.
During the review of NHS access standards, performance of the field test sites continued to be included in the national time series, so data is unaffected by the field testing. Data on the new Faster Diagnosis Standard has been included in the cancer waiting times publication since April 2021. Recommendations for the clinically-led review of NHS cancer standards published in August 2023 can be found here.