NEARLY four in 10 cancer patients at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust had been waiting longer than two months for treatment in February, figures show.

As NHS performance against the two-month target hit a record low nationally, Macmillan Cancer Support said the latest statistics reveal the enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer services.

NHS data shows that at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, just 60.3% of cancer patients started treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral in February.

That was down from 73.2% in January, but above the record low 11.1% recorded in January 2018.

It means 64 patients had waited longer than two months in February, and the trust fell far below the 85% target introduced over a decade ago.

Responding to the figures, Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Like many NHS services across the country during the pandemic, our services have responded amazingly well to the increased numbers of seriously ill patients over the past year. Sadly, this has meant that some people have had to wait longer than we or they would like for their treatment.

“Our staff have worked tirelessly to prioritise patients needing urgent care, including those with cancer, to keep waiting times as short as possible and we have developed new and innovative ways of working, such as video outpatient consultations. We are working with our partners in the local health and care system to ensure that we can continue to deliver care which best meets our patients’ clinical needs in a timely way while also responding to the ongoing demands of the pandemic response.”

Across England, just 69.7% of patients received cancer treatment within two months of an urgent referral in February – the worst performance on record.

It means the NHS target has now not been met for nearly three years.