New cancer strategy for NI
Dept of Health says it will prepare the service for all of the challenges ahead
A new strategy for cancer care in Northern Ireland was announced today (Thursday).
The idea is to ensure services are fully equipped to meet the challenges, experts are predicting over the next decade.
The strategy’s central goal will be to identity new ways of working to secure further advances in cancer care throughout the province.
Richard Pengelly, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, which has commissioned the plan. Said: “Significant progress has been made over the past 20 years in developing cancer services in Northern Ireland.
“This has involved investing in a wide range of preventative, treatment and care programmes that have contributed to improvements in survival rates for cancer patients.
“However, the anticipated demographic change in forthcoming years means there is likely to be a significant growth in demand for cancer services, and we must prepare for these challenges. A new strategy would help us do that.”
The Department intends to work with patients, staff and cancer charities in its development.
It has looked at the various arrangements that supported the development of cancer strategies in neighbouring jurisdictions, and sees merit in the model that was used by NHS England.
This involved the establishment of an Independent Cancer Taskforce which worked closely with professional cancer services staff, patients, cancer charities, commissioners, care providers and other key stakeholder groups.
Discussions are planned with local cancer charity representatives on the commissioning of the strategy and the potential development of a taskforce model.
Decisions on the implementation of a new strategy would be for a future Health Minister.
Margaret Carr, public affairs manager for Cancer Research UK in Northern Ireland, welcomed the move and said the charity had been campaigning for a new cancer strategy for Northern Ireland since 2015.
She added: “This much longed-for news is tremendously welcome. Patients here have been waiting for a long time for a commitment from the Department of Health that it will begin work on a new cancer strategy for Northern Ireland to replace the current one which is hugely out-of-date, having been published back in 2008.
“This is a major step forward for cancer patients as we know from other parts of the UK and Ireland that focused strategies can help target finite resources effectively and drive vital service improvements for patients.
“We look forward to working with the Department of Health to ensure that a new strategy will help prevent more cancers, diagnose more cancers earlier, provide patients with the right treatment for their disease in the right place and ensure that research is at the heart of cancer treatment.
“We will continue our work to ensure that a new strategy has measurable actions implemented within agreed time scales.”