Diagnostic and Cancer Waiting Times data for June 2024

In response to NHS England’s June 2024 diagnostic imaging and cancer waiting times data release,
Dr Katharine Halliday, President of the Royal College of Radiologists said:

“While there’s been some progress on cancer wait times, it's slow, and we're still far from meeting key targets. Over the past year, there's been little improvement, and the situation in cancer departments remains worrying.

“Today's data shows only 67.4% of patients started treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, missing the 85% target. Progress is happening, but at this rate, it could take four more years to meet the goal.

“The 31-day treatment wait has worsened, with only 90.9% of patients treated on time, highlighting ongoing capacity issues. The fact that 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard has been met for the second month in a row, is a testament to the dedication of the workforce, who continue to go above and beyond despite growing pressures. 

“These issues show the urgent need for Government action. The NHS must focus on recruiting, training and retaining the workforce, invest in diagnostics, and use new technologies to improve care for cancer patients.”

• In June 2024, 17% of patients waited over 6 weeks for a CT or MRI scan, equivalent to 82,642 patients.
• The target is for less than 1% of patients to wait over 6 weeks, meaning this was missed.
• To clear the diagnostic backlog in one month, 388 additional radiologists would be needed, equivalent to 9% of the workforce.

62 days to start treatment following an urgent referral:

• 67.4% of people began first or subsequent treatment for cancer within 62 days of an urgent referral.
• The target is for 85% of people to start within 62 days, meaning this target was missed.
• Over the past year, the 62-day wait figures have improved from 63.05% to 67.45% - a 4.4% improvement. If this rate of improvement continues, it will take a further 4 years to hit the (referral to treatment cancer) target of 85% within 62 days.

31 days to start treatment after decision to treat has been confirmed:

• 90.9% of patients began treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat, against a target of 96%.
• This has worsened over the past month, and yearly progress has also stalled.

28-day faster diagnosis standard:

• 76.3% of people were told if they had cancer or had cancer ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral, against a target of 75%.
• This means the target was met for the second month in a row. While welcome, over 60,000 patients still waited over a month for the results of their imaging scan.