Cancer waiting times

That this House notes with deep concern that the 62-day referral-to-treatment standard for cancer patients, which requires at least 85 per cent of patients to begin treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer, has not been met in England since 2015; further notes that around 168,000 people die from cancer each year in the UK, and that delays in treatment can be fatal; recognises that timely diagnosis and treatment are critical to improving cancer survival rates and ensuring equitable access to care across the NHS; regrets the Government’s delay to the National Cancer Plan and urges them to bring it forward as soon as possible to tackle unacceptable waiting times and treatment deserts; and calls on Ministers to make treatment within 62-days a legal right, with all necessary funding and accompanied by a clear and publicly accountable timeline, regular reporting on performance by region and cancer type, and transparent mechanisms for accountability and improvement where standards are missed.