Cancer waiting time targets missed across the North

LOCAL charity Cancer Focus, have expressed their ‘extreme disappointment’ at news that all cancer waiting times have been missed across the North.

Key targets were not met on every single cancer waiting time that was set by the Department of Health – including a target which stated that 95 per-cent of cancer patients should begin treatment within 62 days after an urgent GP referral.

This was actually missed by half, with only 42.5 per-cent of cases being on target. This figure rose slightly to 52.4 per-cent over the summer.

A key target was also missed in the treatment of patients with breast cancer. All urgent breast cancer referrals should be seen within 14 days. The health service only managed to see 75.5 per-cent of patients in this time frame.

Richard Spratt, CEO of Cancer Focus NI said, “The latest waiting time figures released today continue to cause us serious concern. We are extremely disappointed to see that, yet again, large numbers of local cancer patients have not been seen within the Department’s own target dates. This has been a consistent failure ever since these targets were set.

“These statistics are not just numbers; they represent real people,” he added. “When patients are waiting so long for a diagnostic test or treatment, the impact on them is devastating on top of all the other stresses associated with Covid-19. We see and hear this daily in our work supporting local patients and their families throughout their cancer journey, and our hearts go out to them.

“Even pre-Covid, cancer incidence and mortality were increasing, with these trends exacerbated by an ageing population and health inequalities. We fear that waiting times will continue to increase for many local people, especially as we’re expecting a large cohort of people with a late diagnosis as a result of the pandemic.”