The percentage of cancer cases referred on the two week wait pathway

What this data shows:

The proportion of people with cancer who were referred to a specialist on the two-week wait pathway

How the data is gathered:

People who have symptoms that could indicate cancer should be seen by a specialist as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary anxiety, and enable treatment to start quickly if it is needed. The ‘two-week wait’ pathway exists to enable people who might have cancer to be seen by a specialist within two weeks. This shows the percentage of all people who were diagnosed with cancer who had been referred on the ‘two-week wait’ pathway. Where this percentage is low, it may indicate that GPs are not identifying symptoms that may show cancer, and referring patients accordingly.

The data are supplied by the National Cancer Intelligence Network, using Department of Health waiting times statistics and GP practice list data.

When using indicators to make comparisons between General Practices, it is important to consider the context in which GP's provide services. For example the characteristics of the patients treated by a practice – in terms of things like age or deprivation – can affect the value of an indicator, unless these factors are taken into account when the indicator is calculated. Similarly, a practice’s performance on an indicator can sometimes be influenced by other organisations that are caring for the same patients – local hospitals or community services, for example.

Data Source:

National Cancer Intelligence Network

Data Period:

2011/12