Cancer waiting time targets missed again
The already under-pressure services have struggled throughout the pandemic.
The latest quarterly cancer stats continue to fall short of Departmental targets.
Less than half of suspected cancer patients waiting for their first treatments after an urgent referral in Northern Ireland have been seen within the target time.
Latest figures for July, August and September 2021 show 42 per cent of patients were seen withing the 62 day timeframe set by the government – the target is that 95 per cent are seen in that time.
Waiting times for first definitive treatment following a decision to treat also were not met. The target for this category of patients is that 98 per cent are seen in 31 days.
In September 2021, 886 patients commenced their first treatment for cancer following a decision to treat being taken.
Of these, 88.0% (780) started treatment within 31 days, compared with 95.1% (832 of the 875 patients) in September 2020.
Urgent suspected breast cancer cases have not been seen within the government waiting times either.
New figures for July to September show that while all cases should be seen within 14 days, one quarter were not treated inside that fortnight.
During September 2021, 1,337 patients were seen by a breast cancer specialist for a first assessment following an urgent referral for suspect breast cancer. Of these, 75.5% (1,010) were seen within 14 days, compared with 81.9% (1,099 of the 1,342 patients) in September 2020.
Rebuilding the system
At the end of 2021, a public consultation on reforming under-pressure cancer care services in Northern Ireland concluded.
The Department of Health says the draft strategy “has a central vision to ensure that everyone in Northern Ireland, wherever they live, has equitable and timely access to the most effective, evidence-based referral, diagnosis, treatment, support and person centred cancer care.
"The implementation of the Cancer Strategy will be a significant project and will span 10 years. The implementation will be inclusive and cross sectoral and will draw on existing co-production structures."