More than double the target number of cancer patients waited longer than a month for their first treatment, after the decision was made to treat them.
The latest NHS England figures show that 9.5% of people took longer than a month to be treated, more than twice as high as the target figure of 4%.
This is the third highest these figures have ever been and the worst they have ever been for this time of year.
The figures also showed that 23.2% of people waiting for surgery to treat their cancer waited longer than a month, almost four times more than the 6% target and the second most on record, beaten only by January this year.
Additionally, patients are waiting longer than ever for radiotherapy with 13.7% taking longer than a month for their first round after the decision to treat, also more than double the operational standard of 6%.
The number waiting longer than 62 days since an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer stood at 22,533 at the end of April, up from 19,023 in March.
Most of the patients included in this total do not have cancer and are waiting for a diagnostic test, while around one in seven do have cancer and are waiting for treatment.
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There are three main ways the NHS measures how it is doing in terms of treating cancer.
Firstly, patients are not supposed to wait more than two weeks between seeing their GP and seeing a specialist consultant. The NHS target is that fewer than 7% of people wait longer.
Secondly, if it is decided treatment is needed, patients should start within a month of that decision. The target is for fewer than 6% to wait longer.
Thirdly, the time between the first time a GP refers a patient to a specialist, and treatment beginning should be no more than 62 days. The target for this is that fewer than 15% wait longer.
The waiting list for those waiting to start routine hospital treatments also reached a record high, with an estimated 7.4 million people waiting to start treatment at the end of April.
A total of 371,111 people in England had been waiting more than 52 weeks to start routine hospital treatment by the end of April, up from 359,798 at the end of March.
Cutting waiting lists was one of Rishi Sunak’s priorities for this year, pledging in January that “lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly”.
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NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “We knew the overall waiting list would continue to increase for a time as people who may have put off coming forward for care over the past few years of the pandemic sought help, and that demand would be reflected in other areas as well.
“Today’s data shows another record 12 months for cancer treatment and referrals, with more than ever before getting checked and starting treatment. We continue to urge people to come forward because the earlier cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat.”
