Statistics on average waiting times between decision to treat and treatment for cancer are not collected centrally.
The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from decision to treat, to first cancer treatment was introduced for all patients and all treatment modalities from December 2005. Statistics showing overall performance are published on a quarterly basis on the Department’s website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/HospitalWaitingTimesandListStatistics/CancerWaitingTimes/index.htm
The number and percentage of patients receiving first treatment for cancer within one month of decision to treat, for acute trusts in Shropshire, as at quarter 3 of 2009-10 is shown in the following table.
Trust Number of patients Percentage of patients Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 3 100 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 325 95.3 Notes: 1. Statistics on average waiting times are not collected centrally. Data shown relate to compliance with the two-month waiting time standard from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer to first treatment. 2. Low number of cases are likely to be explained by the specialist nature of particular trusts which would not normally routinely treat cancer patients. Reported compliance is more prone to fluctuation where numbers are relatively low. Source: Cancer Waiting Times database.