Cancer waiting time targets scrapped in England under NHS proposals

author: FutureCar Staff    

Proposals are being considered by NHS England to scrap the target for patients to see a specialist within two weeks if they are suspected of having cancer. Instead, there has been a consultation on the new "faster diagnosis standard" which suggests that patients who have been urgently referred should have cancer ruled out or receive a diagnosis within 28 days.

An NHS England spokesperson confirmed that the proposals were being looked at and explained that they were put forward by leading cancer experts and have the support of cancer charities and clinicians. The aim is to ensure that more patients are diagnosed and treated as early as possible following a referral, and to replace the outdated two-week wait target with the faster diagnosis standard that is already being used across the country.

The proposed changes would also remove the need for unnecessary outpatient appointments and allow more patients to be referred directly for testing. This would also enable the wider deployment of diagnostic technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Professor Mike Osborn, President of the Royal College of Pathologists, expressed his belief that streamlining the targets was sensible. However, he emphasized that the targets themselves are not the outcome that matters, but rather the actual outcome of improved cancer care. He highlighted the need for concerted efforts and resources to overcome the problems and bottlenecks in cancer care, particularly the workforce challenges.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay assured that no changes would be made to cancer targets without the recommendation of cancer clinical experts and consultation with leading charities. He mentioned that the government had held a consultation and would have something to announce in the coming days. Barclay emphasized the importance of focusing on survivability rates and consulting with clinical figures and cancer charities to determine the most effective actions to improve outcomes.

The current two-week wait target was criticized for not setting an expectation of when patients should receive test results or have a confirmed diagnosis. Cancer Research UK supported the proposed new targets, anticipating improvements in diagnosis. However, oncologist Pat Price, the head of the Radiotherapy UK charity, expressed concern about the potential new targets, stating that poor performance is not solely due to measurement methods but rather insufficient investment in cancer treatment capacity.

Under the faster diagnosis standard, patients who have been urgently referred, have symptoms of breast cancer, or have been picked up through screening should have cancer ruled out or receive a diagnosis within 28 days. Those with cancer should then receive their first treatment within a month of the decision to treat after the diagnosis. Patients who receive a cancer diagnosis should start treatment within nine weeks from the date of referral.

The faster diagnosis standard will have an initial performance threshold of 75%, meaning that three-quarters of patients should have a diagnosis within a month. The proposals come as NHS England figures show that cancer wait times remain below government and health service targets. Urgent cancer referrals have increased, but the percentage of patients seeing a specialist within two weeks is still significantly below the target.

FutureCar Staff