NHS Cancer Crisis: Over 100-Day Waits as Trusts Miss Treatment Targets

New analysis of NHS England figures has exposed a severe crisis in cancer care, with nearly all acute trusts across England failing to meet crucial treatment targets. The data reveals that some patients are enduring waits exceeding 104 days for vital cancer treatment, highlighting significant disparities in performance between different NHS trusts.

The National Target That's Consistently Missed

The long-established NHS benchmark mandates that 85% of cancer patients should begin treatment within 62 days of their urgent referral. However, this national target has not been achieved since 2014. In response to ongoing challenges, the government has set an interim goal of reaching 75% by March 2026, but current performance remains well below even this reduced target.

Across England as a whole, only 69.1% of patients (239,038 out of 345,847) began cancer treatment within 62 days last year. While this represents a slight improvement from 67.7% in 2024, it remains significantly below both the interim and ultimate targets.

Trust Performance: A Stark Divide

The analysis shows just three of 119 acute trusts with comparable data managed to hit or surpass the 85% target last year:

Calderdale and Huddersfield (89.2% of patients)
Homerton Healthcare (85.8%)
Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells (85.7%)

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the worst performing trusts were:

Mid & South Essex (just 45.4% of patients within 62 days)
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (50.1%)
Hull University Teaching Hospitals (53.1%)
Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn (54.2%)
Guy's & St Thomas' in London (55.1%)

Extended Delays: The 104-Day Wait Crisis

Perhaps most concerning is the data showing that in several trusts, substantial numbers of patients are waiting more than 104 days for treatment after urgent referral. In December 2025 alone:

17.0% of patients at Mid and South Essex waited over 104 days
16.5% at Hull University Teaching Hospitals
15.5% at Guy's and St Thomas'
14.9% at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
14.5% at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn
13.7% at University Hospitals of Leicester

Year-on-Year Changes and Progress

The data reveals a mixed picture of progress across the NHS. While 65 of the 119 trusts saw a rise year-on-year in the percentage of patients seen within 62 days, 54 actually experienced a decline. Only around a quarter of trusts (33 of 119) managed to treat at least 75% of patients within the target timeframe in 2025, a slight improvement from 29 trusts in 2024.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, told PA: "Every cancer patient deserves access to timely, high-quality care. Although NHS staff are working hard to cope with increasing pressure on cancer services, far too many people still face unacceptable delays for vital treatment."

She added: "The UK Government has set an important commitment to meet all cancer waiting times targets in England by 2029, but this can't be achieved at the current rate of progress. More investment in NHS workforce and equipment will be crucial to deliver genuine change for patients across the country."

Expert Analysis and Trust Responses

Bea Taylor, fellow at the Nuffield Trust think tank, noted that the NHS "often struggles" to sustain progress on improving cancer waiting times. "For this to be achieved there is still a considerable gap to close, and the NHS will need to keep up momentum and build on it, instead of fluctuating throughout the year," she said.

Taylor highlighted that "the UK lags behind other countries in cancer outcomes and faces longstanding gaps in investment and staff, with key equipment like diagnostic scanners in short supply compared to countries like Germany, Sweden and Italy."

Several trusts have acknowledged their performance issues and outlined improvement plans. Kirsten Major, chief executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: "We previously had some of the best cancer waiting times, so we are concerned about the drop in performance and the impact on our patients. This is one of our top three priorities and as such, we have already taken actions to turn this around."

Dawn Scrafield, chief executive of Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, acknowledged: "Improving cancer care is one of our key priorities – we know we need to do more and that our patients deserve better."

The Path Forward

An NHS spokesman stated: "The NHS is seeing and treating record numbers of patients for cancer, with more than three quarters of people receiving a diagnosis or all clear within four weeks, but there are still too many people experiencing unacceptably long waits for their first treatment."

The spokesman added: "Our landmark National Cancer Plan sets out a clear roadmap to ensuring we are meeting all three cancer standards to see and treat patients on time over the next three years, with further improvements to make care more personalised and significantly improve survival."

As the NHS works toward the government's 2029 target for meeting all cancer waiting times, the data reveals both the scale of the challenge and the urgent need for sustained investment and systemic improvements across England's cancer care services.