Cancer wait times in Wigan among the best in the UK

New figures show more patients around the country have to wait longer than the expected 62 days from an urgent referral by a GP to start treatment.

But Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) NHS Foundation Trust began treatment for 89.5 per cent of its patients within that timeframe.

It surpassed the target of 85 per cent and was ranked as the sixth best performing trust in the country.

Julie Fletcher, WWL cancer services manager, said: “We are extremely proud of our achievements against all the national cancer waiting times targets. Being ranked in the top 10 Trusts is a fantastic achievement.

“Achieving such a high position requires a big team effort with nine different tumour groups, each with its own multi-disciplinary team involving surgeons, specialist nurses, radiology, pathology and the cancer services tracking team.

“From the day of referral the tracking team follow each patient ensuring that diagnostic and treatment happen within agreed timeframes. Most of the suspected cancer referrals are triaged so patients can be seen in the right place first time.

“We have several straight-to-test models and one-stop clinics which means many patients have their first diagnostic tests at their first visit, meaning less hospital visits and a speedier pathway to either diagnose a cancer and plan treatment or to rule out cancer, reducing anxiety for our patients

“We work closely with the other divisions and specialist centres to further improve waiting times.

“It is imperative we work collaboratively to ensure a seamless care pathway.”

The figures were collected by the BBC.