In recent months, the NHS has taken a critical step forward with the National Cancer Plan for England. However, as the demand for cancer diagnostics continues to rise and waiting times grow, technology integration remains the missing link to bridge the gap between ambition and delivery. For transformation to be effective, cancer care will require efficient data flow across fragmented systems. Without it, there is no clear path to meeting the objectives of the plan. As a company working directly with NHS trusts and integrated care systems to connect diagnostic networks at scale, we see the gap every day and know what closing it requires.
The current numbers paint a troubling picture. Analysis has shown only a very small fraction of English NHS trusts are meeting the critical 62-day target from urgent referral to treatment – a performance gap that is costing patients time they do not have. Delays in biopsy reporting, outdated radiotherapy machines, referral letters lost between departments and inherited waits across regions all contribute to a situation that Dr Timothy Hanna, a leading global expert on cancer, describes as ‘worrying'. With 85% of all NHS care determined by diagnostics, the consequences of a fragmented diagnostic infrastructure are felt across almost every clinical pathway.
The root cause is, in many cases, a failure of data to move where it's needed. Something as simple as a patient living between two trusts can result in fragmented records if results cannot flow from one organisation to another because systems cannot talk to each other. This slows down adoption and makes it difficult for clinicians to build a complete picture of a patient's diagnostic history, leading to avoidable delays in diagnosis and treatment. Opportunities for earlier intervention are lost and patient outcomes suffer as a result.
Addressing these specific delays and inefficiencies requires a sound foundation that supports technological innovation. We cannot expand capacity, improve equity of access or reduce delays unless data moves reliably, quickly and safely from one part of the system to another. While there is much excitement around innovative technologies, from AI diagnostic tools to advanced imaging platforms, these solutions cannot deliver impact without strong underlying data systems.
Scale and complexity demand genuine partnership, not technology deployment in isolation. Despite the consolidation recommended by the Lord Carter review, many regions still rely on multiple configurations within a single trust, causing friction and slowing the flow of crucial patient data.
Magentus will deploy a unified Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) across Cheshire and Merseyside – one of the most complex integrated care systems outside London, collectively responsible for around 53m tests per year – we will train 2,000 staff and configure more than 5,000 tests. The gains are significant. Turnaround times improved by 15-25% and duplicate testing was eliminated. Clinicians gained real-time visibility of results at the point of care and frontline teams and laboratory staff now operate from a single source of truth. The work required to reach this point is complex. Yet delivering the cancer strategy hinges on these kinds of partnerships operating at system and regional levels, aligning digital, clinical and operational leadership.
Consistent diagnostic infrastructure is particularly crucial in improving cancer outcomes for vulnerable people. A major study by The University of Manchester and The Christie Hospital found people with learning disabilities receive later diagnoses, fewer investigations, less treatment and significantly worse survival outcomes. They are half as likely to receive urgent investigation and far more likely to be diagnosed when cancer is incurable. These people often live just four years after diagnosis, less than half the nine years for the general population.
Equity is central to the National Cancer Plan. Technology can either reinforce or dismantle disparities, depending on how systems are built. Only integrated systems that enable smooth data flows, unify referral systems and co-ordinate treatments across trusts, can ensure vulnerable groups receive timely, high-quality care. Without these technological connections, vulnerable populations are at risk of being further marginalised in an already stretched system.
The rapid rise in private diagnostics adds urgency to the challenge. Analysis by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network shows more than 1.1m private scans and tests were conducted in 2024 – a 20% increase in the previous year – with fast access and convenience cited as key reasons. Younger working adults increasingly choose private diagnostics because they can book appointments near workplaces and receive results within 48 hours.
This trend raises an important question: how can the NHS leverage technology to ensure equitable access to fast, high-quality diagnostics for all patients, regardless of financial means? The NHS must use technology not only to increase throughput but also to ensure fairness. Small but powerful digital improvements, like integrating AI-informed patient booking platforms with existing systems, can reduce delays, enhance safety and close the growing gap between private and NHS diagnostics.
Technology alone will not resolve the structural pressures facing cancer services. Integration requires aligned governance across ICBs and trusts, shared data standards and sustained collaboration between NHS organisations and technology providers. It requires a recognition that interoperability not just a procurement feature, but a key component of clinical quality and patient safety.
The National Cancer Plan sets a clear direction for this. Clinicians across the NHS continue to demonstrate extraordinary commitment under sustained pressure. Technology can help make that commitment count — connecting the diagnostic, referral and treatment pathways that cancer care depends on. This gives every patient, regardless of where they live or what their circumstances are, the same chance of an early diagnosis and effective treatment.
