Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to Monitor’s report showing more hospitals missing cancer targets and twice as many in deficit, said:

“After a decade of improvements in cancer waiting times, progress has been derailed by David Cameron’s NHS re-organisation. We warned that focus would be lost and that is exactly what has happened.

"David Cameron said his own re-organisation could be judged on its effect on waiting times. This is more proof it has failed on every level. Patients with a life-threatening illness should not face these unnecessary delays.

"He wasted billions of pounds of front-line cash and now the number of hospitals in deficit has doubled in the space of a single year.

"Patients are paying the price for this Government’s NHS mismanagement. It shows you can’t trust the Tories with the NHS.”