Cancer waiting times branded ‘grim’ as urgent treatment is delayed in almost half of cases

That is according to the Department of Health’s latest waiting time figures.

Government targets state that at least 95% of cancer patients with an urgent referral from their GP should begin treatment within two months (62 days).

Only 56.2% of the 324 cancer patients who were in this situation in June began treatment within 62 days.

However, the total was an improvement on the figure in May when 49.1% (137 of the 279 patients) began treatment within 62 days and April when 55.4% (180 of the 325 patients) began treatment within the target.

Dervilia Kernaghan, head of care services for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, said: “Month by month the figures show improvement in waiting times since Northern Ireland came out of lockdown.

“However, the target for patients receiving first treatment within 62 days (95%) was still missed by nearly 40%.

“We have seen how quickly our health service has pivoted to respond to the pandemic in recent months but this has come at a cost to planned and scheduled care.

“We can see the impact of recent months on our waiting times which were already unacceptable pre Covid and are calling for urgent action to address them.”

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA said the cancer waiting times are extremely concerning”.

She added: “The latest figures from the Department of Health showed 324 patients commenced their first treatment for cancer following an urgent referral. Of them, 56.2% started treatment within 62 days, compared with 55.4% at the same time last year.

“The situation with regard to diagnosis and treatment of cancer in many cases remains grim, and it is concerning not enough focus is currently on them.”

“We hear regular updates, quite correctly, about the situation with regard to Covid-19, but we do not see the same level of briefing concerning general health services, not least with regard to cancer diagnosis and treatment across the board.

“What we do not see in these figures is the story across all cancers, nor do we see how many diagnoses have potentially been missed. There is significant concern about medical professionals I speak to people are being left without diagnosis or without vital care.

“What we need to see in media briefings is a broader picture of how services are being restored and an assurance our focus on COVID-19, while understandable, is not so all-encompassing that vital care is missed elsewhere.”