Waiting times for cancer patients in Dorset are continuing to rise.

The latest figures from Dorset County Hospital (DCH) show that in the month of January only 65.8 percent of patients received their first cancer treatment within the 62-day standard set by NHS England.

This means that DCH has fallen further behind the operational standard which is 85 percent.

This fell from 70.1 percent in December, and the Echo previously reported this figure was at 68 percent between January and November 2023.

In January, 146 patients completed their treatment pathway from their first referral to their  first treatment, however, only 96 of these people received that treatment within the 62-day standard.

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This means 48 people had to wait more than two months before receiving their first treatment after their first referral.

For patients who are waiting to be told if they have cancer from their first appointment with a consultant, 1088 patients were seen in January.

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Of these, only 765 were seen within the 28-day standard, falling from 74.1 percent in December to 70.6 percent in January – again below the operational standard set by NHS England of 75 percent.

For patients waiting to receive their first treatment after a decision to treat was made, waiting times again increased.

A 31-day standard is set by the NHS of 96 percent but only 93.8 percent of patients were seen in January compared to 97.9 percent in December, meaning the hospital has fallen below the NHS target.

This news comes as the health ombudsman for England issued a warning over overstretched health workers under “unsustainable pressure”, which is putting cancer patients at risk.

It came as Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) figures revealed 1,019 investigations relating to cancer were carried out between April 2020 and December 2023 in England.

January also saw an unprecedented number of strikes by doctors, as junior doctors in Dorset took part in the longest industrial action in NHS history.

A spokesperson for Dorset County Hospital said: “Dorset County Hospital has seen an unprecedented increase in demand for cancer services - with some specialties seeing as much as a 30 percent increase in referrals compared to pre COVID-19 figures, which has inevitably had an impact on waiting times.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to see patients as soon as possible, including investing in additional capacity.”