England: Monthly waiting times for suspected cancer 2010-2021

In November 2020, 87 percent of patients with suspected cancer in England were seen by a specialist within fourteen days of a referral by a GP, lower than the NHS operational standard that 93 percent of patients should be seen within this timeframe. Since January 2018, the NHS waiting time target for cancer referral has only been met six times.

Share of individuals with suspected cancer seen by a specialist within two weeks of GP referral in England from 2010 to 2021, by month

Characteristic	Share seen within 14 days
Jan 10	93.7%
Feb 10	96.55%
Mar 10	96.25%
Apr 10	95.31%
May 10	95.93%
Jun 10	95.17%
Jul 10	95.18%
Aug 10	94.73%
Sep 10	94.98%
Oct 10	95.69%
Nov 10	96.23%
Dec 10	94.57%
Jan 11	95.03%
Feb 11	96.77%
Mar 11	96.18%
Apr 11	96.05%
May 11	95.01%
Jun 11	95.29%
Jul 11	95.68%
Aug 11	95.72%
Sep 11	95.55%
Oct 11	96.03%
Nov 11	96.23%
Dec 11	96.38%
Jan 12	96.06%
Feb 12	96.49%
Mar 12	96.23%
Apr 12	94.56%
May 12	95.91%
Jun 12	94.9%
Jul 12	95.5%
Aug 12	95.29%
Sep 12	95.44%
Oct 12	95.71%
Nov 12	95.69%
Dec 12	96.19%
Jan 13	94.72%
Feb 13	96.3%
Mar 13	96.12%
Apr 13	95.26%
May 13	95.75%
Jun 13	95.46%
Jul 13	95.67%
Aug 13	94.92%
Sep 13	95.08%
Oct 13	95.66%
Nov 13	95.54%
Dec 13	95.55%
Jan 14	93.93%
Feb 14	95.87%
Mar 14	95.34%
Apr 14	93.47%
May 14	93.59%
Jun 14	93.49%
Jul 14	94.02%
Aug 14	93.04%
Sep 14	93.89%
Oct 14	94.63%
Nov 14	94.72%
Dec 14	94.86%
Jan 15	93.89%
Feb 15	95.57%
Mar 15	94.5%
Apr 15	92.66%
May 15	94.32%
Jun 15	94.09%
Jul 15	93.91%
Aug 15	93.18%
Sep 15	93.32%
Oct 15	94.73%
Nov 15	94.75%
Dec 15	94.83%
Jan 16	93.55%
Feb 16	95.41%
Mar 16	94.87%
Apr 16	93.04%
May 16	94.02%
Jun 16	93.86%
Jul 16	94.38%
Aug 16	93.96%
Sep 16	94.11%
Oct 16	94.84%
Nov 16	95.14%
Dec 16	95.46%
Jan 17	93.98%
Feb 17	95.42%
Mar 17	94.74%
Apr 17	92.82%
May 17	94%
Jun 17	94.09%
Jul 17	94.05%
Aug 17	93.56%
Sep 17	93.96%
Oct 17	94.73%
Nov 17	95.14%
Dec 17	94.84%
Jan 18	93.84%
Feb 18	95.21%
Mar 18	93.2%
Apr 18	90.83%
May 18	92.15%
Jun 18	91.11%
Jul 18	91.95%
Aug 18	91.67%
Sep 18	91.19%
Oct 18	92.28%
Nov 18	92.48%
Dec 18	93.68%
Jan 19	91.67%
Feb 19	93.43%
Mar 19	91.78%
Apr 19	89.75%
May 19	90.8%
Jun 19	90.08%
Jul 19	90.92%
Aug 19	89.41%
Sep 19	90.1%
Oct 19	91.37%
Nov 19	91.33%
Dec 19	91.83%
Jan 20	90.08%
Feb 20	92.61%
Mar 20	91.86%
Apr 20	88.08%
May 20	94.2%
Jun 20	92.49%
Jul 20	90.38%
Aug 20	87.65%
Sep 20	86.14%
Oct 20	87.88%
Nov 20	87%
Dec 20	87.54%
Jan 21	83.39%