£14bn plan to reduce NHS cancer backlogs in England is failing, MPs say

Treatment waiting times at worst-ever levels as post-Covid recovery programme ‘falling short’

A £14bn plan to reduce NHS backlogs caused by Covid is failing to meet targets, with cancer waiting times at their worst-ever levels, parliament’s spending watchdog has said.

A report by the Commons’ public accounts committee said NHS England’s three-year recovery programme for elective and cancer care, agreed in 2022, was already “falling short” in its first year and expressed serious doubts that the wider plan would be achieved on time.