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More than 450,000 additional appointments delivered as NHS in East of England exceeds faster diagnosis standard for cancer

The NHS in the East of England has delivered more than 450,000 additional appointments since April 2024 and hit the ambitious faster diagnosis standard for cancer, latest figures show.

Monthly performance data shows that that there were more than 450,000 additional appointments delivered in the year from April 2024 (457,408 elective operations, outpatient appointments and diagnostic tests up until February 2025).

Thanks to the efforts of NHS staff in the East of England, more than three quarters of people in the region (77.6%) received the all clear or a definitive cancer diagnosis within four weeks – the highest proportion on record and achieving the national standard.

This meant more than 23,000 people were diagnosed or given the all clear for cancer in February within 28 days (23,735) – 1,319 more than the previous month (22,416).

As part of the ambitious elective care reform plan published earlier this year, the NHS is aiming to return to the constitutional standard of 92% of patients waiting within 18 weeks by March 2029.

Around 200,000 treatments were delivered by staff in the East of England in February, 26% higher than the same period pre-pandemic (157,000 in February 2020).

Waits of over a year in the region also continue to improve, dropping by more than 15,000 since last year (50,086 in February 2024 to 34,753 in February 2025).

Dr Edward Morris, Regional Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer for NHS England – East of England said:

“These latest figures show real progress across a range of the East of England’s health services, and we are determined to keep this trend going for the benefit of our patients.

“It is great news that a record proportion of people in the region have received vital results from cancer checks within the four-week standard, despite more people continuing to come forward. Waiting for cancer test results can be an incredibly stressful and worrying time, so hearing back within 28 days helps to give people much-needed clarity with a diagnosis so they can plan next steps for treatment or have the relief of the all clear.

“As ever, anyone noticing worrying symptoms or in need of care is urged to come forward for all-important checks.”

Separate monthly data showed that ambulance category 1 and category 2 response times in the East of England were the fastest in over three years, since June 2021.

Category 1 ambulance response times (8mins 19s) were the fastest since June 2021, despite the East of England Ambulance Service facing the busiest March ever for ambulance incidents (81,366 incidents compared to 66,677 in March 2021; an increase of 22%).

The average response for category 2 ambulance calls (32mins 25s) in the region was over 4 minutes quicker than the month previous (36mins 55s) and more than 6 minutes quicker than the same month last year (39mins 6s).

ENDS

Notes to editors

Statistics are available on NHS England's website