Dear Chris

Thank you for inviting us to assess NHS England’s cancer waiting times statistics against the Code of Practice for Statistics. We have completed the assessment and have today published our Assessment Report. I am grateful for the positive contribution and engagement from your team throughout the assessment process.

We have identified four requirements to improve the statistics. These are focussed around publishing a development plan for the statistics and comprehensive information about quality and methods; improving the presentation of the statistics; and exploring the feasibility of publishing more granular information. Addressing these requirements will put users at the heart of the statistical production process by increasing transparency, improving the insights offered by the statistics and ensuring that they are accessible to as wide a range of users as possible.

Once we have confirmed that the requirements set out in the report have been met, we judge that the statistics can be designated as accredited official statistics (called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007). As discussed, we expect you to report back to us by December 2025 on how you have met these requirements. We will keep in touch with the team on a regular basis to monitor progress towards meeting the requirements and to provide support and guidance where necessary.

The areas for improvement that we have identified around accessibility and granularity are likely to apply to other statistics related to the NHS. We therefore urge you to explore the opportunities future changes could offer for the presentation of these statistics in the longer term.

Yours sincerely

Ed Humpherson
Director General for Regulation