​Politicians from across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland have signed a declaration to commit to aiming towards a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer in the province

MLAs from all political parties in Northern Ireland and civil servants, cancer charities and political and health spokespeople gathered at Stormont to sign Bowel Cancer UK’s declaration of support.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Oct 2023, 07:47 BST
Updated 17th Oct 2023, 12:32 BST
Inflatable interactive experience used to visualise the various stages of bowel cancer, at the front Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA WireInflatable interactive experience used to visualise the various stages of bowel cancer, at the front Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Inflatable interactive experience used to visualise the various stages of bowel cancer, at the front Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The meeting at Parliament Buildings heard from researchers, clinicians and patients about the impact of long-standing issues and the stalemated assembly on bowel cancer services, patients and their families.

The event also featured a giant inflatable bowel to visualise the different stages of bowel cancer.

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The political parties signed the declaration to support Bowel Cancer UK’s mission to increase awareness and understanding of bowel cancer.

They also pledged to remove the barriers to people being diagnosed quickly and at the earliest possible stage, get the right treatment and care to every patient and support people to cope better with bowel cancer.

Figures published by Northern Ireland’s Department of Health show that nearly nine in 10 people (84%) living in the province with bowel cancer symptoms are waiting longer than the 62-day target to begin treatment.

This surpassed last quarter’s worst performance on record and is lagging behind the rest of the UK.

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Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Northern Ireland, with nearly 1,200 people diagnosed every year, and the second biggest cancer killer.

Professor Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen’s University Belfast, chairman of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and member of the Scientific Board of Bowel Cancer UK, said the waiting times are “simply not acceptable”.

“Why have targets if we don’t adhere to them?” he said.

“This data and the research intelligence that we have generated highlight how the lack of an implemented cancer strategy is having a disastrous impact on those at risk of bowel cancer and bowel cancer patients in Northern Ireland.

“We need to act now.”

There has not been an executive or assembly functioning at Stormont for over a year due to the DUP’s ongoing boycott of powersharing institutions in protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy was published in March 2022 but cannot be funded or implemented without an executive in place.

Related topics:Northern IrelandBowel cancerPoliticiansMLAsDepartment of Health