Cancer Research UK | May 2022 | More than 65,000 people are left waiting to find out if it’s cancer each month
New calculations from Cancer Research UK estimate that, on average, over 65,000 people in England are left waiting longer than 28 days to find out whether they have cancer each month.
These estimates are based on the latest data from the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS). The FDS is a performance standard introduced by Government in 2021. It’s used to better capture how long people on certain cancer-related referrals wait for a diagnosis.
This applies to people referred by their GP urgently with suspected cancer, following breast symptoms, or have been picked up through cancer screening.
The current FDS target is set at 75 per cent, meaning three quarters of people being urgently referred should be told they have cancer or given the all-clear within that timeframe. However, this target has yet to be met.
Calculated as the average number of people who received a diagnosis, or had cancer ruled out and the result communicated to them beyond the 28-day standard between October 2021 and February 2022, this leaves approximately 65,400 people in limbo.
Full details are available from CRUK
Cancer Services News 