GeraClinic / NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index
The Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index
One number for the NHS cancer backlog. The Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index is a 0–100 score over the real NHS England Cancer Waiting Times release, where 100 means the 62-day treatment standard is met. For April 2026 it stands at 82.1 / 100 for England — 69.8% of patients started treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, against the 85% standard.
Is the NHS meeting the 62-day cancer waiting times standard?
No. As of April 2026, the Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index stands at 82.1 / 100 for England — just 69.8% of patients started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, against the 85% NHS standard. Gera recomputes the index on each monthly NHS Cancer Waiting Times release.
The index scores the real NHS “62-day Combined” performance — the share of patients starting cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral — against the NHS’s own 85% operational standard. There is no editorial constant: the only benchmark is the published NHS standard, and the formula is set out in full in the methodology.
Index (England)
82.1 / 100
below the 62-day standard
Treated in 62 days
69.8%
standard: 85%
Diagnosed in 28 days
75.9%
FDS standard: 75%
ICBs ranked
36
across England
Cancer waits by referral pathway (England)
The 62-day standard covers several referral routes. Scored with the same index, England’s Urgent Suspected Cancer route — the main urgent GP referral for suspected cancer — is where the standard is missed most, at 63.9% treated in time (75.2 / 100). Every figure below is the real NHS number summed across all 36 ICBs.
| Referral pathway | Cancer Waits Index | Within 62 days | Patients treated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent Suspected Cancer | 75.2 / 100 | 63.9% | 15,200 |
| Screening | 73.8 / 100 | 62.7% | 2,168 |
| Consultant Upgrade | 94.6 / 100 | 80.4% | 10,046 |
| Breast Symptomatic | 83.9 / 100 | 71.3% | 108 |
Cancer waits by NHS area — the full league table
The index is computed for every one of England’s 36 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The lowest-scoring areas are shown below; the complete ranked table of all 36 areas — each linking to its full pathway detail — is one email away.
In April 2026, only 69.8% of cancer patients in England started treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, against the 85% standard — a Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index of 82.1 / 100.
- Essex
- 64 / 100 · 54.4% in 62 days
- Herefordshire And Worcestershire
- 68.2 / 100 · 58.0% in 62 days
- Lincolnshire
- 71.4 / 100 · 60.7% in 62 days
- Leicester, Leicestershire And Rutland
- 72.7 / 100 · 61.8% in 62 days
- Northamptonshire
- 75.8 / 100 · 64.4% in 62 days
+ 31 more not shown here. As of April 2026. Source: NHS England Cancer Waiting Times, April 2026 (OGL v3.0).
Get the full 36-area cancer waits league table
Enter your email and we send the complete ranked table of all 36 ICBs, each linking to its full pathway breakdown. Recomputed on every monthly NHS release.
What the cancer backlog means for NHS staffing
The areas furthest below the 62-day standard are, in general, the ones under the greatest diagnostic and treatment workforce pressure — cancer imaging, pathology, oncology and specialist cancer nursing. If you are a healthcare professional considering NHS work, these pages set out the real registration pathways (they are information, not recruitment):
Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index: FAQs
- What is the Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index?
- The Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index (GNCWI) is a single 0–100 score that summarises how far the NHS is from the 62-day cancer treatment standard — that at least 85% of patients should start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral. 100 means the standard is met; lower means longer effective waits. For April 2026 the national index is 82.1 / 100, because 69.8% of patients were treated within 62 days. It is computed transparently from real NHS England data — the full formula is on the methodology page.
- How is the index calculated?
- It takes the real NHS "62-day Combined" performance — the share of patients starting a first cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent suspected-cancer referral — and expresses it against the NHS's 85% operational standard: GNCWI = min(100, pct62 / 85 × 100). There is no editorial constant; the only benchmark is the NHS's own published standard, so the number is fully reproducible.
- Is the NHS meeting the 62-day cancer standard?
- No. For April 2026, only 69.8% of patients started treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, against the 85% standard — a national Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index of 82.1 / 100. The standard has not been met nationally for several years.
- Which area has the worst cancer waits?
- Of the 36 English Integrated Care Boards, Essex has the lowest 62-day performance at 54.4% treated within 62 days (index 64 / 100), while West And North London has the highest at 79.7% (index 93.8 / 100).
- What is the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard, and why is it not in the index?
- The 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) asks that 75% of patients get a cancer diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days of referral (national FDS: 75.9% in April 2026). It is shown alongside the index as context but deliberately kept out of the score — diagnosing quickly but treating slowly is exactly the gap the 62-day standard exists to expose, and blending a met standard in would mask it.
- How often is the index updated?
- NHS England publishes Cancer Waiting Times data monthly. Gera recomputes the index on each release. The figures here are for April 2026 (published June 2026).
Worried about a cancer symptom while you wait?
With the national cancer waits index at 82.1 / 100 and only 69.8% of patients treated within 62 days, some people use a private online consultation for advice or a same-day referral while they wait. GeraClinic connects you with a UK-registered doctor by video — it is a private service and not affiliated with the NHS. If you have red-flag symptoms, contact your GP or NHS 111 now; in an emergency call 999.
Related NHS data
Source
The Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index is computed only from the real NHS England Cancer Waiting Times release below — every figure on this page traces back to it. The index (the scaling against the 85% standard) is the Gera contribution and is fully specified on the methodology page; no value is invented. Published 20 June 2026.
Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England Cancer Waiting Times (CWT CRS) — ICB Sub-Location extract (April 2026, published June 2026).
Contains public sector information published by Gera Systems and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (source data). Source: Gera NHS Cancer Waiting Times Index — derived from NHS England cancer open data (April 2026, published 20 June 2026).