Three in four cancer patients to survive long term under new government plan

Source: DHSC, 4 February 2026

The NHS has announced an ambitious new commitment that, from 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer‑free or living well five years after diagnosis. This would mark the fastest improvement in cancer outcomes this century and could save an estimated 320,000 additional lives over the lifetime of the plan. The NHS has not met its key cancer target—starting treatment within 62 days of referral—since 2014, and survival rates for some cancers lag behind other European countries. Under the new plan, all cancer waiting time standards will be met by March 2029, ensuring faster diagnosis and treatment. Currently, 60% of patients survive at least five years, and 2.4 million people are living after a cancer diagnosis.