Two-thirds of cancer waiting time targets to be axed in England

Two-thirds of NHS crab waiting clip targets are expected to beryllium scrapped successful England, successful a determination the wellness work says aims to drawback cancers earlier.

NHS bosses privation to trim the fig of targets, astir of which person been routinely missed successful caller years, from 9 to three.

They accidental the determination is backed by starring crab experts and volition simplify the "outdated" standards.

But the caput of the Radiotherapy UK foundation said she is "deeply worried".

Pat Price, who is besides an oncologist and visiting prof astatine Imperial College London, said existent show was "shockingly bad", and portion excessively galore targets could beryllium disruptive, "the wide and elemental information is that we are not investing capable successful crab attraction capacity".

The results of a consultation connected the plans, which started past year, could travel wrong days. But the result is inactive taxable to last support by Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

Three targets are acceptable to beryllium kept:

But six different targets, specified arsenic a two-week hold for a archetypal advisor appointment, volition beryllium dropped.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "By making definite much patients are diagnosed and treated arsenic aboriginal arsenic imaginable pursuing a referral and replacing the outdated two-week hold people with the faster diagnosis modular already being utilized crossed the country, hundreds of patients waiting to person crab ruled retired oregon diagnosed could person this quality faster."

They added the changes volition let much patients to beryllium referred "straight to test" and alteration the wider usage of diagnostic technologies similar artificial intelligence.

Labour shadiness wellness caput Wes Streeting accused the Conservatives of creating a crab attraction situation and leaving patients waiting "dangerously long".

"Sunak should absorption connected cutting waiting times, not cutting standards for patients," helium told the Sunday Times.

According to the latest figures, 59.2% of crab patients successful England who had their archetypal attraction successful June aft an urgent GP referral had waited little than 2 months.

This was up somewhat connected the erstwhile month, but inactive good beneath the people of 85% which was past met successful 2015.

Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK's manager of grounds and implementation, said of the figures past week: "Despite the champion efforts of NHS staff, it's incredibly worrying that crab waiting times successful England are erstwhile again amongst the worst connected record."

He blamed the missed targets connected "years of underinvestment" by the authorities and called for much crab unit and a wide strategy.

"Without bold action, much radical volition miss retired connected lifesaving services," helium said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists 1 of his 5 priorities. His pledge lone refers to waiting lists successful England, due to the fact that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland negociate their ain wellness systems.

However, the wide fig of patients waiting for attraction successful England roseate from 7.47 cardinal successful May to 7.57 cardinal successful June.