More than 1,300 cancer patients waited longer for treatment than they should, figures reveal

New figures have revealed the shocking state of NHS cancer care, with more than 1,300 people in Shropshire waiting longer than they should for treatment last year.

Ahead of the launch of the Government’s National Cancer plan, the data uncovered by the Liberal Democrats has shown that an overwhelming majority of NHS Trusts recorded patients waiting longer than the NHS target of two months in 2025.

At the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, the longest wait time for a patient to be seen for treatment last year was 302 days – almost five times the target.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire and Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, joined her party colleagues in calling for a guarantee that 100% of patients start cancer treatment within 62 days from urgent referral, with this written into law.

She said: “Everyone knows someone whose life has been turned upside down by cancer.

“Far too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed. We must do right by them and get them the care they need when they need it.

“The Liberal Democrats would give cancer patients a guarantee of treatment within two months of an urgent referral, to make sure they get the care they deserve.”

While cancer treatment waiting times at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust have improved in recent years, they have consistently sat at more than 1,500 patients waiting longer than 62 days for the two years prior to 2025, where numbers stood at 1,312.

Nationally, the data showed that many patients were waiting over six months for cancer treatment in 2025, three times the target time and more than 20% of Trusts that responded to the Liberal Democrats Freedom of Information request had waits of over a year for treatment. In Coventry and Warwickshire, one patient waited 673 days for treatment.

Helen said the party would deliver improvements through 200 extra staffed radiotherapy machines, new radiotherapy centres in underserved communities, and over 3,000 more cancer nurses to ensure everyone has a specialist supporting them.