Wait for cancer treatment too long, says Lib Dems

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that more than 1,300 people in Shropshire waited longer than they should have for cancer treatment in 2025.

In the freedom of information (FOI) request, data shows that between January and November last year, 1,312 people at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) waited more than 62 days for treatment.

SaTH's 62-day referral to treatment performance requires that patients start cancer treatment within 62 days of referral.

Ned Hobbs, chief operating officer, said the trust understood delays could increase anxiety and could affect outcomes, and added the trust's priority was reducing the number of patients waiting more than 62 days.

"We have much more still to do, and we are working on the next phase of our cancer improvement programme to reduce the time it takes to start treatment following a cancer diagnosis and then sustain this – which is also important."

"SaTH has made significant progress in reducing the number of patients waiting over 62 days for treatment over the past year – in February 2025 we had 400 patients waiting over 62 days, and we have now reduced that figure to 151 patients. We are committed to further improvements too."

The data comes as the government's national cancer plan was launched on Wednesday, which detailed a plan to transform cancer care and outcomes in England by 2035.

The latest figures from SaTH are an improvement compared to the two years prior - in 2024 between January and November, 1,530 patients waited for more than 62 days for treatment.

In the same period in 2023, that number was 1,624.

The longest wait time for a patient to be seen for treatment last year was 302 days.

Helen Morgan, MP for north Shropshire and Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, called for a guarantee that 100% of patients start cancer treatment within 62 days from urgent referral, with this written into law.

"Everyone knows someone whose life has been turned upside down by cancer," she said.

"Far too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed."

On Tuesday, the trust announced that it had significantly improved the speed in which its patients were diagnosed with cancer.

As of November 2025, almost 85% of patients with suspected cancer that were referred to the trust received a diagnosis, or had it ruled out within 28 days.

The trust said that phase two of its improvement programme would be to focus on improving the 62-day referral to treatment performance.

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