The Government has confirmed that NHS England cancer targets are to be streamlined, moving from 10 performance standards to three from October.
The new guidelines will move away from the “outdated” 2-week wait target, the Government said, which will be replaced with the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Currently, anyone who is referred urgently by their GP with suspected cancer must be seen by a specialist within 14 days.
The Faster Diagnosis Standard was initially introduced in April 2021 but has been under “rigorous consultation”, according to the Government. It aims to diagnose 75% of people with cancer at an early stage, as well as cutting down the time between referral and diagnosis to reduce anxiety for patients. It also supports a goal outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan to have 55,000 more people surviving cancer for 5 years or longer by 2028.
