Cancer: only one third of 'red-flagged' patients in Northern Ireland are treated within 62-day target

Just one third of 'red-flagged' patients across Northern Ireland began treatment within the target time, new figures reveal

That is despite being urgently referred by their GPs

Shock latest statistics from the Department of Health from the end of June reveal only 403 of 1, 239 patients started their treatment inside the required 62 days

Liz Morrison from Cancer Research UK in Northern Ireland says the figures are extremely worrying.

“It’s unacceptable that people are still waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment, something which causes real distress," she told Downtown Radio & Cool FM.

"Patients may miss opportunities for some treatments, or become too sick to receive them, which can also lead to poorer survival.

“It’s essential we start to see progress on meeting cancer waiting time targets which are missed time and time again. Performance against these targets in Northern Ireland is by far the worst in the UK."

The Department says at least 95% of patients should begin their first definitive treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.

The figures show that in the quarter ending June 2025, the number of patients treated decreased by 1.7% (22) since last quarter.

Meanwhile, the percentage of patients starting treatment within 62 days decreased from 33.9% in the previous quarter.

Liz also called on decision makers to make cancer treatment a priority for patients.

"The NI Health Service needs more people, it needs more equipment and it needs more resources if it is going to cope with the predicted rise in cancer cases here," she added.

In a statement the Department said: "The Health Minister acknowledges that many patients will feel anxious as they wait longer than they should for assessments.

"He is committed to reducing waiting times across the system and embedding the changes that will lead to better outcomes for all patients.

"Elective care waiting times in Northern Ireland remain the longest in the UK. While there has been some modest improvement, the Minister is committed to reducing waiting times across the system and embedding the changes that will lead to better outcomes for all patients.

"A revised Elective Care Framework (ECF) was published on 24 May 2024, setting out a five-year roadmap to reduce waiting times. If fully funded, the actions will help close the demand–capacity gap and tackle excessive waits."