Cancer Research UK says almost 55,000 patients should have been diagnosed faster or started treatment sooner in that time. The NHS says at least 85 percent of patients should start a first treatment within two months of an urgent GP referral.
But data shows the target has not been met since 2015 and the situation has been deteriorating year-on-year since 2017, Cancer Research says.
The charity’s CEO, Michelle Mitchell, said: “The Government has to commit to long-term investment in workforce and kit so we can turn things around.”