Quick Read
- NHS England missed two out of three key cancer waiting time targets in November 2025.
- Only 70.2% of patients started treatment within 62 days of urgent referral, falling short of the 85% target (unmet since Dec 2015).
- 91.7% of patients began treatment within 31 days of a decision, missing the 96% target.
- The Faster Diagnosis Standard (76.5% diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days) was met, exceeding the 75% target.
- Patient testimonials from late 2025 to early 2026 describe prolonged waits, cancelled surgeries, and significant distress.
LONDON (Azat TV) – NHS England’s latest performance data for November 2025 reveals a continued struggle to meet critical cancer waiting time targets, prolonging anxiety and uncertainty for thousands of patients across the country. While the Faster Diagnosis Standard was successfully achieved, both the 62-day referral-to-treatment and 31-day decision-to-treat standards were missed, highlighting persistent systemic pressures on cancer services.
The statistics, released by Cancer Research UK, underscore a concerning trend that has seen the 62-day target remain unmet since December 2015. These delays not only intensify patient distress but also carry significant risks, with studies indicating that a four-week delay in cancer surgery can lead to a 6-8% increased risk of mortality. The ongoing challenges call into question the efficacy of current strategies despite government commitments to improve cancer care outcomes.
November 2025: A Mixed Picture for Cancer Care
The November 2025 data, the latest reported under new streamlined NHS England targets introduced in December 2023, presents a nuanced view of the health service’s capacity to deliver timely cancer care. The three key standards are designed to measure different stages of the cancer pathway, from initial referral to the commencement of treatment.
- The Faster Diagnosis Standard: Target Met
In a positive development, 76.5% of people were diagnosed, or had cancer ruled out, within 28 days of an urgent referral. This figure surpasses the 75% target, indicating an improvement in the initial diagnostic phase. - The 62-day referral to treatment standard: Target Missed
Only 70.2% of people in England received their diagnosis and started their first treatment within two months (62 days) of an urgent referral. This falls significantly short of the 85% target and marks a decade of continuous underperformance for this crucial standard. - The 31-day decision to treat standard: Target Missed
For those who had a treatment plan decided by doctors, 91.7% began their treatment within 31 days. While a higher percentage than the 62-day standard, it still missed the 96% target, suggesting bottlenecks even after a treatment strategy has been established.
These figures are specific to England; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland operate under their own distinct cancer waiting time targets.
The Human Cost of Delayed Care
Behind the statistics are countless individuals navigating an incredibly anxious and often painful journey. Patient testimonials collected through early January 2026 paint a stark picture of the real-world impact of these missed targets.
One patient, referred with suspected bowel cancer in August 2025, recounted still being undiagnosed and in pain by January 2026. Despite an urgent referral for a colonoscopy, bureaucratic hurdles, including delays in CT scans and conflicting information regarding heart concerns, led to significant setbacks. The patient’s experience, detailed in a public comment, highlighted being ‘removed from the 28 day urgent cancer referral’ pathway and facing continuous delays in receiving biopsy results.
Another individual, urgently referred for suspected prostate cancer in May 2025, described a cancer pathway stretching to 193 days by November 2025. This included a cancelled surgery date due to a ‘sterilised equipment problem’ and a subsequent lack of communication regarding a new appointment. Similar stories involve individuals with prostate cancer waiting 79 days from referral to diagnosis and 121 days without a surgery date, or those with aggressive bladder cancer facing months of delay before treatment commencement.
These accounts resonate with the findings by Cancer Research UK, which states that while some aggressive cancers are prioritized, increases in missed targets mean ‘people who need potentially lifesaving cancer treatments are waiting, and worrying, for longer – and that is a big concern.’
Addressing Systemic Pressures and Future Plans
The mounting pressure on NHS cancer services has been a long-standing issue, exacerbated by various factors including staffing shortages, equipment failures, and increased demand. The streamlining of cancer waiting time standards in late 2023 was an attempt to simplify reporting and focus efforts, but the latest data suggests that significant challenges remain in translating policy changes into improved patient experiences.
Cancer Research UK has welcomed the government’s commitment to achieving cancer waiting time targets, as outlined in NHS England’s Medium Term Planning Framework. However, the organization emphasizes the critical need for this commitment to be ‘clearly reaffirmed in the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England.’ For any plan to succeed in achieving long-term change, it must be supported by adequate funding, clear oversight, robust governance, and effective delivery structures.
The persistent inability to meet critical cancer treatment targets, particularly the 62-day standard, reveals a deep-seated crisis within NHS England’s cancer care pathway. While the achievement of the Faster Diagnosis Standard offers a glimmer of hope, it is overshadowed by the prolonged waits for actual treatment, which not only inflict immense psychological burden on patients but also carry tangible risks to their health outcomes, signaling a profound disconnect between strategic goals and operational realities.