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Cancer waiting times: patients starting treatment and patients informed they do not have cancer, June 2019 onwards

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Next update expected:21 May 2026

Updates

27th April 2026

Metadata updated

23rd April 2026

New month added.

19th March 2026

New month added

19th February 2026

New month added and revisions applied to previous data where applicable

22nd January 2026

New month added

18th December 2025

New month added.

21st November 2025
23rd October 2025
26th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Accredited official statistics
Data provider
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
Data source
Suspected Cancer Pathway (SCP)
Time period covered
June 2019 to February 2026

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Data on new suspected cancer pathways, patients starting treatment and waiting times for cancer treatment in Wales.

Data collection or calculation

Under the suspected cancer pathway (SCP), a pathway starts at the point of suspicion, for example when a GP makes a referral. Pathways are closed, and waiting times end, when patients start their first definitive treatment, are downgraded (told they do not have cancer), choose not to have treatment or if the patient dies. Note that patients can be on more than one pathway.

Data are drawn from Local Health Board administrative systems relating to the management of patients referred on the SCP. Data are reported monthly by Local Health Boards via Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). The data collection has been in place since June 2019.

Statistical quality

Data definitions and standards are mandated by the Welsh Information Standards Board (WISB).

Suspected cancer pathway data is measured by patient pathways rather than unique patients. This is because a single patient can have multiple cancer pathways opened if cancer is suspected in more than one tumour site. When quality assuring open pathway data for October, November and December 2021, it was estimated that the number of pathways opened is approximately 2-3% higher than the number of unique patients who were suspected of having cancer.

Direct comparisons should not be made between these statistics and the previous statistics which ran to November 2020.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales