Surgery is one of the main treatments for bowel cancer. The surgeon removes the cancer and part or all of the bowel around it. Some people need a colostomy or ileostomy, which may be temporary or permanent. You may also be offered chemotherapy, radiotherapy or targeted medicines, before or after surgery.
The National Bowel Cancer Audit publishes results for every NHS trust in England and Wales, adjusted for differences between patients. Cancer surgery is often concentrated in specialist centres, so the trust that diagnoses you may refer you to another trust for your operation.
Hospitals in the East of England
12 trusts in the East of England with published figures. Sorted by name. This is not a ranking: read how to read this first.
| Trust | Volume bandMajor bowel cancer operations, 2024 (NBOCA) | Key outcomeDeaths within 90 days (adjusted) | Waiting timeWhole trust | Patient experience | CQC rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Bedford Hospital, Luton and Dunstable Hospital | 200 or more209 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 4%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 59.7%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional48.2% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Bedford Hospital: No Approved Rating (CQC report for Bedford Hospital) Luton and Dunstable Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Luton and Dunstable Hospital) |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals, Princess of Wales Hospital | 150 to 199196 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 1.7%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 65.2%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional5.2% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Addenbrooke's and the Rosie Hospitals) |
| East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Hertford County Hospital, Lister Hospital, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital | 150 to 199159 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 3.2%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 76.2%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional38% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | Somewhat worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Hertford County Hospital: Good (CQC report for Hertford County Hospital) Lister Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Lister Hospital) Queen Elizabeth II Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Queen Elizabeth II Hospital) |
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Colchester General Hospital, The Ipswich Hospital | 200 or more319 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 2.7%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 37.5%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional20.4% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Colchester General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Colchester General Hospital) The Ipswich Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for The Ipswich Hospital) |
| James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: James Paget Hospital | 100 to 149111 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 4.3%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 42.5%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional35.6% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for James Paget Hospital) |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Basildon University Hospital, Broomfield Hospital, Orsett Hospital, Southend University Hospital, St Peter’s Hospital | 200 or more453 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 4.2%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 50.5%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional66.4% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Basildon University Hospital: Inadequate (CQC report for Basildon University Hospital) Broomfield Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Broomfield Hospital) Southend University Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Southend University Hospital) |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital | 200 or more247 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 1%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 30.3%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional24.1% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.2 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital) |
| North West Anglia NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Peterborough City Hospital | 200 or more230 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 5.7%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 57.6%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional52.1% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | Somewhat worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Hinchingbrooke Hospital) Peterborough City Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Peterborough City Hospital) |
| The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: The Princess Alexandra Hospital | Fewer than 10080 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 3.3%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 71.1%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional4.6% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | Worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.7 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for The Princess Alexandra Hospital) |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital | 100 to 149107 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 3.5%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| Too few patients to comparestarted cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional21% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital) |
| West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital, Watford General Hospital | 150 to 199155 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 5.2%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 88.7%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional6.3% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | Somewhat worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Hemel Hempstead General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Hemel Hempstead General Hospital) St Albans City Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for St Albans City Hospital) Watford General Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for Watford General Hospital) |
| West Suffolk NHS Foundation TrustWhole trust. Hospitals: Newmarket Hospital, West Suffolk Hospital | 100 to 149112 major bowel cancer operations in 2024 | 2%National: 2.6%No banding publishedMore measures
| 78.8%started cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral or screening (standard 85%; England 61.2%), June to August 2026, provisional63.5% of people waiting for a colonoscopy had waited 6 weeks or more (England 30.9%, August 2026) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Newmarket Hospital: Good (CQC report for Newmarket Hospital) West Suffolk Hospital: Requires improvement (CQC report for West Suffolk Hospital) |
How to read this
- Not a ranking. The table is in alphabetical order. A higher volume does not on its own mean better care, and we do not combine the columns into a score.
- Volume bands. Cut points are the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of all 130 NHS trusts and health boards in the NBOCA data tables in the published table, rounded. So about a quarter of NHS trusts and health boards in the NBOCA data tables fall in each band. The exact number is shown under the band.
- Risk adjustment. Where a figure says “adjusted”, the audit has allowed for differences in the patients each hospital treats, such as age and other illnesses. Hospitals that take on more complex cases can still look different for reasons the adjustment does not capture.
- Bands and limits. We only say a result is higher or lower than expected when the source itself says so (for example NJR outlier status, NELA funnel limits, SSNAP levels, CQC survey bands). Where the source publishes a rate without limits we show the rate and the national figure, and say “No banding published”.
- Small numbers. A small hospital can have 0% or a high percentage by chance. Figures the source suppresses are shown as “Not published (small numbers)”.
- Trust or hospital. This audit publishes figures for each NHS trust, which may run several hospitals. The operation may only be done at one of them.
- Different periods. Each figure has its own period, shown next to it. Audit results describe operations done one to three years ago; waiting times are updated monthly.
- National figures. National figures are the 'Overall' (England and Wales) row of the NBOCA data tables.
- Talk to your GP or consultant about what the figures mean for you. If you are referred for planned care in England, you can usually choose your hospital.
Full definitions: methodology and data dictionary.
Data sources and licences
- National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA) State of the Nation 2026 data tables, NATCAN (Royal College of Surgeons of England) for HQIP. Source: National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA), NATCAN / HQIP, State of the Nation 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Cancer Waiting Times (provider extract), NHS England. Source: NHS England, Cancer Waiting Times. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01), NHS England. Source: NHS England, Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity (DM01). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025 (trust benchmark results), Care Quality Commission. Source: Care Quality Commission, NHS Patient Survey Programme, Adult Inpatient Survey 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- CQC ratings, Care Quality Commission. CQC ratings: Care Quality Commission. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Healthcare-associated infections: annual counts and rates by trust (financial year 2025 to 2026), UK Health Security Agency. Source: UK Health Security Agency, healthcare-associated infection annual data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
Data last updated 26 October 2026. We do not change the published figures; we only group volumes into bands. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Sources
We checked this guide against these official pages on 26 October 2026.
- Treatment for bowel cancer (NHS website)
- Bowel cancer (NHS website)
- National Bowel Cancer Audit State of the Nation report 2026 (NATCAN)
- Cancer Waiting Times (NHS England)
- Adult inpatient survey (Care Quality Commission)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us.