NEARLY half of Brits with cancer wait longer than a month to get their diagnosis due to delays in “urgent” NHS testing.
The proportion of those who do have cancer who get a result within the 28-day time limit fell from 57 to 52 per cent between 2021 and 2024.
Including “cancer-free” results, 77 per cent of patients get them within a week, suggesting the cancer results are slower.
Cancer Research UK said the delays stop treatments starting sooner and harm survival chances.
Cancers of the prostate, kidney, head and neck were among those with the slowest test results, analysis showed.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO of CRUK, said: “Waiting for a cancer diagnosis can make every day feel like forever.
“It’s promising that more people are having cancer ruled out on time.
“But it’s unacceptable that only half of people who have cancer are being diagnosed within the target timeframe.
“The Government needs to act.
“Its upcoming National Cancer Plan must include a new commitment to diagnose cancers earlier and a pledge to meet all wait time targets by the end of this Parliament.”
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