North Cumbria’s hospital trust said it is working to improve treatment times of cancer patients.

NHS England data shows 97 patients started treatment for cancer at North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) NHS Foundation Trust in August – down from 132 in July.

But this was still up from the 84 who were seen in April.

Of the patients who started treatment in August, 87.6 per cent did so within one month of their diagnosis – falling short of the NHS target of 96 per cent.

NCIC Trust said appointments for patients with urgent cancer referrals had continued throughout the pandemic.

“We acknowledge we have faced some challenges and delays due to Covid-19, however we are working hard to see all patients and expect our treatment times to improve,” the trust said in a statement.

“We would remind people it is important to be aware of any unexplained changes to their body, such as blood in pee or poo, a lump, persistent bloating or pain that does not go away.

“If anyone is concerned and they think they have symptoms of cancer it is important they contact their GP as soon as possible.”

Across England, 20,200 patients started treatment in August – down from 21,600 the previous month.

There had been signs of improvement, with the number rising in June and July after a low of 16,700 in May.

But Sara Bainbridge, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said August’s figure – a drop of more than 5,500 compared to 25,800 a year earlier – was “extremely worrying.”

“Disruption to cancer diagnosis and treatment is having a traumatic impact on cancer patients’ lives,”she said.

“Earlier this week, the Health Secretary highlighted growing fears that rapidly rising Covid-19 rates could have an impact on the recovery of already fragile cancer services.

“Cancer must not become the forgotten C during this pandemic. It is critical the Government urgently puts plans and resources in place to increase capacity and protect the NHS from further disruption, as we stare down the barrel of a second wave.”

The NHS said despite disruption and pressures from Covid, about 85 per cent of cancer treatments continued during the pandemic with more than 246,000 people receiving treatment and more than 870,000 referred for checks since the start of March.