The target to treat 85% of people with a cancer diagnosis has not been met by the NHS since 2015 with almost 100,000 patients missing the deadline last year.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: ‘Despite all the progress by our incredible scientists and NHS staff, the UK still lags behind other countries when it comes to cancer survival rates – and these delays are a major reason why. That's why the Liberal Democrats will make improving cancer care a top priority, and fight every day for better care for you and your loved ones.'

The Liberal Democrats said the legal guarantee to treat all patients with an urgent referral, which would be enshrined in the NHS constitution, forms part of a plan to improve cancer care services with an additional £4bn invested over the next five years.