The second annual
report of the national statistics on waiting times for suspected
and diagnosed cancer patients in the English NHS produced by the
Department of Health was released on 19th August 2011 according to
the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. The
report contains a summary of the published quarterly statistics in 2010-11.
Following its independent assessment, the United Kingdom
Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National
Statistics , in accordance with the Statistics and Registration
Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of
Practice for Official Statistics.
Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:
meet identified user needs;are well explained and readily
accessibleare produced according to sound methods, andare managed
impartially and objectively in the public interest.
Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is
a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue
to be observed.
Waiting times for cancer services – 2010-11
The key points from the annual report are:
All cancer two week wait
In 2010-11, 95.5% of patients urgently referred for suspected
cancer by their GP were seen by a specialist within 14 days of
referral.
Two week wait for symptomatic breast patients
(cancer not initially suspected)
In 2010-11, 94.8% of patients urgently referred by their GP with
exhibited breast symptoms (where cancer was not initially
suspected) were seen by a specialist within 14 days of referral.
31-day (diagnosis to first treatment) wait for all cancers
In 2010-11, 98.4% of patients receiving their first definitive
treatment for cancer began that treatment within 31 days, all
cancers.99.1% of patients receiving first definitive treatment for
breast cancer in 2010-11 began their treatment within 31 days of
diagnosis.
62-day (urgent GP referral to first treatment)
wait: all cancers
In 2010-11, 87.0% of patients receiving first treatment for
cancer following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer began
treatment within 62 days of referral, all cancers.97.3% of
patients receiving first treatment for breast cancer following an
urgent GP referral for suspected cancer started their treatment
within 62 days of referral in 2010-11.
31-day (urgent GP referral to treatment) wait for
rarer cancers
In 2010-11, 90.8% of patients received first definitive
treatment for a rarer cancer within 31 days of an urgent GP
referral for suspected cancer.
62-day wait for first treatment following referral
from an NHS cancer screening service: all cancers
In 2010-11, 93.7% of patients receiving first definitive
treatment for cancer following referral from an NHS cancer
screening service began treatment within 62 days of that referral.
62-day wait for first treatment from consultant
upgrade
In 2010-11, 93.5% of patients who received first treatment for
cancer following a consultant’s decision to upgrade their priority
began treatment within 62 days of that decision.
31-day wait for second or subsequent treatment
In 2010-11, 97.1% of patients waited 31 days or less for second
or subsequent treatment, where the treatment modality was
surgery.In 2010-11, 99.6% of patients waited 31 days or less for
second or subsequent treatment, where the treatment modality was
an anti-cancer drug regimen.
More detailed commentary and analysis is published in the Annual
Report on the Department of Health website:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_128618
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk