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The Government is on track to fail in its pledge to treat urgent cancer referrals within two months in England, Cancer Research UK has warned.
Experts from the charity say it could take until 2032 to reach the target unless care improves.
In February, NHS England promised that, by March 2029, 85 per cent of patients with suspected cancer would be treated within 62 days – a target that hasn’t been met since December 2015.
The pledge formed a fundamental feature of the Government’s National Cancer Plan – which set an ultimate target of three in four people diagnosed with cancer surviving for at least five years by 2035.
Figures show that just 71 per cent of patients in England currently start treatment within a two-month timeframe.
According to the new Cancer Research UK analysis, by 2029, this number is likely to have risen to just 77.8 per cent – far below the 85 per cent target.
The Government will fail its pledge to treat urgent cancers within two months of urgent referral in England, Cancer Research UK has warned
The two month period begins when signs of suspected cancer are first spotted – usually by a GP – and ends when a patient then begins treatment, if the disease is confirmed.
A different target, called the NHS’s Faster Diagnosis standard, aims to confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis within 28 days of an urgent referral.
The new report estimated that an additional 51,000 patients would need to start treatment on time over the next three years for the NHS to hit the 85 per cent goal.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK said the figures are proof that the UK Government must ‘urgently turn up the dial to meet its commitments in England.
‘Cancer patients deserve more than ambitions,’ she said.
‘They deserve an NHS that has the staff and equipment it needs to diagnose and treat cancer on time, giving everyone the best possible chance of beating the disease.’
The charity is calling on ministers to publish a national strategy that sets out how the Government will improve the capacity of the NHS.
Cancer Research UK is also demanding further investments in hospitals specialising in cancer treatment.
Ms Mitchell added: ‘Publishing The National Cancer Plan is not a job done. Urgent action is needed, or too many patients will continue to wait too long for vital care.’
Last month the Daily Mail revealed that NHS delays for hospital treatment in England had climbed to the highest level in almost a year.
The waiting list for NHS specialists such as gynaecologists, gut experts and physiotherapists hit 7.33 million in July – the highest total since October 2025, when it stood at 7.4 million.
That represented around 6.21 million people, some of whom were waiting for more than one treatment.
The figures showed that more than 111,000 delays had stretched beyond a year,
Around 9,000 waits exceeded 15 months and almost 1,500 surpassed a year-and-a-half, while 235 had surpassed two-years.
A Government spokesman said Cancer Research UK’s analysis did ‘not take into account future changes and improvements’ that will be made through the National Cancer Plan.
‘While we have already made good progress on the plan’s goals – with performance against all three waiting time standards having improved over the last year, even in the face of record demand – we know there is a lot more to do,’ he added.
‘We will reduce waiting times further by diagnosing and treating cancer faster through new surgical hubs and the biggest expansion of NHS diagnostics in a generation.’
NHS England declined to comment.
