NHS made changes to the standard of measuring the cancer waiting times

Starting from October 1, 2023, NHS England has made changes to the standard of measuring the cancer waiting times . These alterations aim to guarantee people to have a swift diagnosis and start the treatment as soon as possible. 

The NHS will transit from the current 10 different standards to 3 standards:

• Faster Diagnosis Standard: a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of referral (set at 75%)
• 31-day treatment standard: commence treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat for all cancer patients (set at 96%)
• 62-day treatment standard: commence treatment within 62 days of being referred or consultant upgrade (set at 85%)

The new standard align more closely with the current cancer care needs, placing a greater emphasis on outcomes rather than process. They will promote fair access to care by assessing waiting times for all patients, regardless of their entry point into the system or the type of treatment they undergo.

The Faster Diagnosis standard was tested in selected regions to assess its impact. The trial areas demonstrated slightly improved performance in meeting the Faster Diagnosis Standard compared to non-trial areas. There is no indication that the cancer diagnoses is delayed when the two-week-wait standard was eliminated.

General practitioners (GPs) will continue to refer individuals suspected of having cancer in the same manner. Furthermore, these changes will empower healthcare professionals to adopt innovative technologies such as remote image analysis and AI, along with modern practices like consolidated diagnostic services and direct testing.

You can download a one page summary of the changes for more information.
Additional information is available via here.