Jo Churchill corrected a written answer on Cancer: Waiting Lists

28 July 2021 · Commons written answer · Department of Health and Social Care

Peter Dowd (Labour, Bootle) asked written question 27178 on 5 July 2021. Jo Churchill answered on 19 July 2021 for the Department of Health and Social Care, and Jo Churchill corrected the answer on 28 July 2021. The corrected text no longer gives the figure 8.3. Altogether 2 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS 2021-22 priorities and operational planning guidance, published on 25 March 2021, whether the NHS is on schedule to tackle the backlog of cancer diagnosis, care and treatment by the end of March 2022.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
NHS England and Improvement are committed to clearing the cancer backlog of patients waiting over 62 days from referral to first treatment by March 2022. Progress has been made, with 2.68 million urgent referrals and over 664,000 people treated for cancer between March 2020 and May 2021. In May 2021 general practitioner urgent referrals for suspected cancer were ~~8.3%~~ higher than the May 2019 baseline. Cancer referrals have reached over 10,500 referrals per day in April and nearly 11,000 in May.	NHS England and Improvement are committed to clearing the cancer backlog of patients waiting over 62 days from referral to first treatment by March 2022. Progress has been made, with 2.68 million urgent referrals and over 664,000 people treated for cancer between March 2020 and May 2021. In May 2021 general practitioner urgent referrals for suspected cancer were 14% higher than the May 2019 baseline. Cancer referrals have reached over 10,500 referrals per day in April and nearly 11,000 in May.

Original

Corrected

NHS England and Improvement are committed to clearing the cancer backlog of patients waiting over 62 days from referral to first treatment by March 2022. Progress has been made, with 2.68 million urgent referrals and over 664,000 people treated for cancer between March 2020 and May 2021. In May 2021 general practitioner urgent referrals for suspected cancer were ~~8.3%~~ higher than the May 2019 baseline. Cancer referrals have reached over 10,500 referrals per day in April and nearly 11,000 in May.

NHS England and Improvement are committed to clearing the cancer backlog of patients waiting over 62 days from referral to first treatment by March 2022. Progress has been made, with 2.68 million urgent referrals and over 664,000 people treated for cancer between March 2020 and May 2021. In May 2021 general practitioner urgent referrals for suspected cancer were 14% higher than the May 2019 baseline. Cancer referrals have reached over 10,500 referrals per day in April and nearly 11,000 in May.

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Related key figures

NHS waiting list (England)

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1343730?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`f9fea59a71dbf37974aa735dcbb3c4d58bf577a7a0f593e67ee7db1f9777ac39`