Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are key to improving cancer survival rates. When cancer is found and treated early, patients have much better outcomes. Treatment is often less invasive, and there is a higher chance of full recovery. However, recent statistics show that the NHS in England is struggling to meet cancer waiting time targets, which means thousands of patients are facing serious delays in getting diagnosed and treated.
In this blog, our medical negligence team looks at the latest NHS cancer waiting times data for 2025, how this has impacted patients, and what you should do if you think a delayed cancer diagnosis has affected you or a loved one.
What Are the Updated NHS Cancer Waiting Time Standards?
In October 2023, NHS England updated its cancer waiting time standards, streamlining nine previous measures to three standards:
- 28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS): 75% of patients should get a cancer diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days (four weeks) of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.
- 31-Day Treatment Standard: 96% of patients should start their first cancer treatment within 31 days (one month) of the decision to treat.
- 62-Day Treatment Standard: 85% of patients should begin their first cancer treatment within 62 days (two months) from an urgent referral or consultant upgrade.
The updated standards aim to make sure patients are diagnosed and treated quickly, recognising that delays at any stage of the cancer pathway can seriously affect patient outcomes.
NHS Cancer Wait Times – 2025 Statistics
In October 2025, NHS England released its latest statistics on treatment and diagnosis standard achievements:
- 28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard: The latest figures showed that 76.1% of patients received a cancer diagnosis or had it ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral. While this marginally exceeds the 75% target, it means that nearly one in four patients (23.9%) still waited longer than four weeks for their diagnosis.
- 62-Day Treatment Standard: Only 68.8% of patients in England received their diagnosis and started their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral. This falls significantly short of the 85% target and means that nearly one-third of cancer patients are waiting longer than two months to begin treatment.
Over the past year (November 2024 to October 2025), the average for this standard was 68.9%, representing a slight improvement from 66.9% the previous year, but still far from the treatment standard target.
Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
However, despite the NHS reporting that FDS targets are being met, data from Cancer Research UK shows a disparity in how quickly patients receive their results, depending on the outcome. According to their article, between May and July 2025, only 53.3% of people who went on to be diagnosed with cancer received their diagnosis within 28 days. In comparison, 75.1% of those who had cancer ruled out received their results within the same timeframe. In other words, their report shows that although the NHS is ruling out cancer effectively, it is not diagnosing it on time.
Read the full article here: Just half of urgently referred cancer patients are being diagnosed on time.
Specific Cancer Types and Diagnostic Challenges
Research published in October 2025 by Oxford Population Health, University of Oxford, revealed that nearly 70% of bowel cancers diagnosed after a negative colonoscopy could have been prevented or caught earlier. The study looked at 1,724 post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer cases across 126 NHS hospitals in England and found that almost half (44%) of patients were harmed by delayed diagnosis, including 8% of cases resulting in premature death.
Source: Almost 70% of bowel cancers missed at colonoscopy are avoidable.
Common contributing factors included:
- Inadequate bowel preparation affecting visibility
- Incomplete examinations
- Failure to remove or biopsy suspicious lesions
- Poor photo documentation
- Inadequate follow-up of high-risk patients
- Patients declining further tests
- Delays in booking repeat procedures
How We Helped – Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Case Study
Clinical Negligence – Delayed Diagnosis
Mr. S had been experiencing ongoing bowel issues, prompting his GP to refer him to an NHS Trust for further investigation. Following several biopsies, the Trust confirmed that the results did not indicate any signs of malignancy. Consequently, Mr. S was informed that he would be removed from the urgent treatment list and would be contacted for a routine procedure.
Unfortunately, Mr. S did not receive the anticipated referral and continued to endure his symptoms. Seeking a second opinion, he was later diagnosed with cancer.
Russell & Russell Solicitors subsequently presented a claim to the NHS Trust on Mr. S’s behalf. After a thorough review, the Trust acknowledged the misdiagnosis and issued an apology. The matter was ultimately resolved with a settlement of £21,000.00.
You can read more about other people we have helped by visiting our case studies page.
What Should You Do If You Suspect a Delayed Cancer Diagnosis?
At The Personal Injury People, our specialist personal injury solicitors have extensive experience in handling complex medical negligence claims, including cases involving delayed cancer diagnosis.
We can help you determine whether you have grounds for a medical negligence claim and guide you through the process.
To speak to our team of experienced medical negligence solicitors today, please call 0800 731 7555, email info@thepersonalinjurypeople.co.uk or fill in this contact form.
About Russell & Russell Solicitors
The Personal Injury People is a specialist personal injury site which is owned and operated by Russell & Russell Solicitors, an established law firm that has been providing legal advice since 1887.
Many of our Solicitors have in excess of 20 years experience in handling personal injury claims and the firm has secured the national Law Society’s legal practice quality mark, Lexcel. Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation scheme for law firms and in-house legal departments, assuring that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.
This article is not intended to be taken as advice or acted upon, and information may have changed since publication.