Mapping the NHS Cancer Waiting Times Crisis: Worst Performing Trusts Revealed
The National Health Service is facing a deepening crisis in cancer care, with new analysis revealing that almost all NHS trusts are failing to meet crucial cancer treatment targets. Shockingly, some of the worst performing trusts are seeing only around half of their patients within the recommended timeframe, leaving many waiting for more than 100 days for potentially life-saving treatment.
A National Target Consistently Missed
The NHS has a long-standing target that requires 85 percent of patients to wait no more than 62 days from their urgent cancer referral being received to starting treatment. However, this critical benchmark has not been met on a national level since 2014, highlighting a systemic failure that has persisted for over a decade.
The government's 10-year cancer plan aims to transform cancer services in England, including a pledge to hit all NHS cancer waiting time targets by 2029. The strategy promises increased access to cutting-edge treatments such as robot-assisted surgery and genomic testing. An interim target of March 2026 has been established, aiming for 75 percent of patients to wait no more than 62 days for treatment.
Trust Performance: A Mixed Picture
Analysis of NHS England figures shows that only around a quarter of trusts (33 out of 119) managed to meet the 75 percent interim target in 2025, though this represents a slight improvement from 29 trusts in 2024. Alarmingly, about one in ten NHS hospital trusts (12 of 199) failed to offer 40 percent of their patients cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral in 2025.
Only three acute trusts with comparable data actually hit or surpassed the 85 percent target last year:
- Calderdale and Huddersfield (89.2 percent of patients)
- Homerton Healthcare (85.8 percent)
- Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells (85.7 percent)
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mid & South Essex was the only trust below 50 percent in 2025, with just 45.4 percent of patients treated within 62 days. In 2024, two trusts fell below this threshold: Guy's & St Thomas' (47.7 percent) and Mid & South Essex (47.0 percent).
The Human Cost of Delays
Medical professionals warn that these delays mean some patients' cancer progresses to later stages before they receive treatment, often necessitating additional or more invasive interventions. This not only worsens patient outcomes but also piles further pressure on already strained NHS services.
Detailed analysis reveals that in some trusts, approximately one in seven patients who began cancer treatment in December 2025 had been waiting more than 104 days since their urgent referral. The worst affected trusts include:
- University Hospitals of Leicester (13.7 percent of patients)
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn (14.5 percent)
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (14.9 percent)
- Guy's and St Thomas' (15.5 percent)
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals (16.5 percent)
- Mid and South Essex (17.0 percent)
Increasing Diagnoses Amidst Treatment Delays
While cancer survival rates have improved significantly - with death rates decreasing by 22 percent over the past 50 years - diagnoses have surged to more than 354,820 in 2023, compared to 327,174 before the pandemic. This increase reflects both improved early diagnosis and expanded treatment options.
Paradoxically, as more people than ever are being diagnosed with cancer, fewer are receiving treatment within the government's target timeframe. Analysis by Cancer Research UK for The Independent shows that 100,000 patients waited longer than the target in 2025.
NHS Response and Future Plans
An NHS spokesman acknowledged the challenges, stating: "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 spokesperson continued: "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."
The comprehensive data reveals a troubling picture across England's NHS trusts, with performance varying dramatically. While some trusts like Calderdale & Huddersfield maintain strong performance at 89.2 percent, others such as Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals (57.6 percent), Princess Alexandra Hospital (57.1 percent), and University Hospitals Of Leicester (55.4 percent) continue to struggle significantly below target levels.
This persistent failure to meet cancer waiting time targets represents one of the most pressing challenges facing the NHS today, with real consequences for patient outcomes and the overall effectiveness of cancer care in England.
