We have been directed by NHS England to focus on achieving the 28-day faster diagnosis standard by March 2026. There are five tumour-specific pathways we have been asked to make a priority which are:

• Urological – to include prostate, bladder and kidney cancers
• Gynaecological cancer
• Breast cancer
• Skin cancer
• Head and neck cancers

For each of these pathways we will work closely with NHS England to establish a Cancer Alliance-led Pathway Implementation Group who will track progress and support the improvements of these pathways.

As an alliance, for the first 3 months of the year (starting in April 2025), we will use pathway analyser tools for each priority cancer pathway to identify delays and assess why these pathways are not performing to the 62-day standard set by NHS England. For the second 3 months of the year (from July 2025) we will use the data gathered and work with our providers and partners to put improvement plans in place. We will continue to support our partners to achieve the targets set in the improvement plans throughout the year with regular reviews to assess progress.