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Cancer waiting times for 2023 in England were the worst on record, a BBC News analysis reveals.
Just 64.1% of patients started treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected, meaning nearly 100,000 waited longer than they should for life-saving care.
The waits have worsened every year for the past 11.
Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Gemma Peters called the figures “shocking”.
“This marks a new low and highlights the desperate situation for people living with cancer,” she said.
“Behind the figures are real lives being turned upside down, with thousands of people waiting far too long to find out if they have cancer and to begin their treatment, causing additional anxiety at what is already a very difficult time.
“With over three million people in the UK living with cancer and an ageing population, this is only set to rise.”
The records go back to 2010, shortly after the cancer target was introduced.
The figures follow Monday’s announcement the King had started treatment after his cancer diagnosis.
He has been treated in a private hospital, after the cancer was spotted following treatment for an enlarged prostate at the end of last month.
A spokesman for NHS England said the number of people being treated for cancer had risen rapidly over the last decade or so.
“Amid record pressures and the impact of a year of industrial action, NHS staff continue to work hard to prioritise the longest waiters and most urgent cases,” he added.
Other parts of the UK have also been struggling on cancer waiting times.
It is more than a decade since Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland have hit their 62-day cancer targets.
How are your local NHS services coping this winter?
Enter a postcode to find out. Eg ‘B1 1RF’
Last updated: Thursday 8 February
About the data
Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust.
When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland.
Comparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible.
In England and Northern Ireland A&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments. For example, those who attend minor injury units are included. In Wales the data include all emergency departments, but does not include patients kept in A&E by doctors under special circumstances, [more details here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67056279). In Scotland the data includes only major A&E departments.
Each nation has different target times and definitions for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them are not possible.
A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection are required to view this interactive.
Waiting time data was also released for A&E and routine hospital treatments, such as knee and hip replacements.
Some 30% of patients waited longer than the target time of four hours in A&E in January, while the numbers on waiting list for treatment dropped slightly in December down to 7.6 million, which is below the all-time-high of 7.77 million at the end of September.
Tim Gardner, of the Health Foundation think tank, said: “The NHS is experiencing a difficult winter amid an increase in seasonal flu and continued industrial action.”
He said the drop in the waiting list was welcome and a “testament to the hard work of staff”.
But he added: “Progress is slow, with the waiting lists stubbornly high.”
Data analysis by Megan Riddell
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