Nearly a fifth of cancer patients in England miss 62 day target for starting treatment

Nearly one in five patients does not start treatment for cancer within the 62 day target of a first urgent referral for suspected cancer, and the NHS in England failed to hit the operational standard for this cancer treatment target for a fourth consecutive quarter, figures have shown.

Fran Woodard, director of policy and research at Macmillan Cancer Support, said, “It is deeply concerning that the cancer waiting time targets, which outline the time it should take for …