NHS cancer treatment target faces a 9,490-patient shortfall by 2027

NHS England is on course to miss its March 2027 target of starting treatment within 62 days for 80% of cancer patients referred urgently. In September, 70.7% were treated within that period, and experts say shortages of staff, equipment and capacity, alongside weak leadership and accountability, are slowing progress.

Radiotherapy UK estimates that about 24,400 patients a month would need to start treatment on time to meet the target, compared with roughly 21,500 currently. That leaves a monthly gap of 2,850 and a projected cumulative shortfall of 9,490 patients if volumes stay steady. Timeliness varies by cancer type, from 70.1% for prostate cancer to 56.5% for head and neck cancers, and by region, from 77.3% in London to 66.6% in the Midlands. Separately, only 55.4% of patients were diagnosed within 28 days of urgent referral over the past year, against an 80% target.