Cancer Waiting Times, January to March 2012 – Provider Based

The latest quarterly national statistics on NHS cancer waiting times produced by the Department of Health were released on 25 May 2012 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

In 2010, the United Kingdom Statistics Authority assessed and 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.

We are improving the range of available cancer waiting times data to meet the statutory requirement to continue observing Code of Practice.

Waiting Times for Cancer Services – Quarter Four 2011/12

The key points from the latest release are:

The key results for outpatient services and first definitive treatments show that, in England during the period January to March 2012:

Two week wait:

• 96.3% of people were seen by a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer  (96.2% in Q3 2011/12)
• 96.1% of people urgently referred for breast symptoms (where cancer was not initially suspected) were seen within two weeks of referral (96.3% in Q3 2011/12)

One month (31-day) wait from diagnosis to first definitive treatment:

• 98.5% of people treated received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis, all cancers (98.5% in Q3 2011/12)
• 99.4% of people treated received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis, breast cancers (99.2% in Q3 2011/12)
• 98.9% of people treated for lung cancers received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis
• 98.3% of people treated for lower gastrointestinal cancers received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis
• 97.0% of people treated for urological cancers received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis
• 98.4% of people treated for  skin cancers received first definitive treatment within 31 days of receiving their diagnosis

Two month (62-day) wait from urgent GP referral to first definitive treatment:

• 87.3% of people treated received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP, all cancers (87.9% in Q3 2011/12)
• 97.7% of people treated received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP, breast cancers (98.0% in Q3 2011/12)
• 83.1% of people treated for lung cancers received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP
• 78.8% of people treated for lower gastrointestinal cancers received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP,
• 83.1% of people treated for urological cancers (excluding testicular cancer) received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP
• 97.3% of people treated for skin cancers received first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred for suspected cancer by their GP

62-day wait extensions

• 93.6% of patients began first definitive treatment within 62 days of a consultants decision to upgrade their priority, all cancers (93.5% in Q3 2011/12)
• 95.7 % of people began first definitive treatment for cancer within 62 days of referral from an NHS cancer screening service, all cancers (94.5% in Q3 2011/12)

The key results for waiting times for second or subsequent treatment show that, in England, during the period January to March 2012:

31-day wait for subsequent treatment:

• 97.3% of people began treatment within 31 days where the subsequent treatment was surgery (97.6% in Q3 2011/12)
• 99.7% of people began treatment within 31 days where the subsequent treatment was an anti-cancer drug regimen (99.8% in Q3 2011/12)
• 98.0% of people began treatment within 31 days where the subsequent treatment was a course of radiotherapy (98.6% in Q3 2011/12)

More detailed commentary and analysis is published below.

Contact address and email

You can obtain further details about the statistics published in this section or comment on the section by contacting the following address:

Cancer Waiting Times Team
Department of Health
Wellington House (Area 411)
133-155 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UG
Email: cancer-waits@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Pre release access list – provider based Q4 2011-12 (PDF, 14K)

CWT Press release 2011-12 Q4 Provider-based (PDF,43K)

Cancer Waiting Times commentary Q4 2011-12 provider based (PDF,90K)

Q4 2011-12 Cancer Waiting Times Workbook (provider-based) -REVISED 18-02-15 (xls 2469kB)

CSV Files

31-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT- BY CANCER (provider data) (CSV,330K)

31-DAY WAIT FOR ANTI CANCER DRUG TREATMENTS (provider data) (CSV,63K)

31-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT- ALL CANCERS (provider data) (CSV,65K)

31-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT FOR RARER CANCERS (provider data) (CSV,42K)

31-DAY WAIT FOR SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT- RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENTS (provider data) (CSV,29K)

31-DAY WAIT FOR SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT- SURGERY (provider data) (CSV,53K)

62-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT – ALL CANCERS (provider data) – REVISED 18-02-15 (CSV 77kB)

62-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT – BY CANCERS (provider data) – REVISED 18-02-15 (CSV 385kB)

62-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT FROM CONSULTANT UPGRADE- ALL CANCERS (provider data) (CSV,62K)

62-DAY WAIT FOR FIRST TREATMENT FROM SCREENING SERVICE REFERRAL- ALL CANCERS (provider data) (CSV,58K)

TWO WEEK WAIT-EXHIBITED BREAST SYMPTOMS (provider data) (CSV,27K)

TWO WEEK WAIT ALL SUSPECTED CANCER (provider data) – REVISED 18-02-15 (CSV 75kB)

TWO WEEK WAIT BY SUSPECTED CANCER (provider data) – REVISED 18-02-15 (CSV 260kB)