Cancer waiting times continue to grow as struggling NI health service misses multiple targets

WAITING times for cancer treatment in Northern Ireland are still rising, according to the latest statistics.

Figures out yesterday showed another drop in performance for people waiting to see a specialist or waiting for treatment.

The Department of Health statistics cover the final quarter of last year, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Officials confirmed yesterday that a major reorganisation of the health service was under way, the aim being to focus resources on combating the Covid-19 outbreak.

It was reported earlier this week that cancer patients had been told their treatment may not go ahead.

The latest figures showed a drop in the number of cancer patients who started their first treatment in December, within two months of receiving an urgent referral.

Just under half (49.9%), or 175 people, of 351 patients started their treatment within 62 days, compared with six in 10 patients (60.4%), or 192 out of 318, in December 2018.

The Government’s target of 95% of patients receiving treatment after an urgent referral within 62 days has not been met in four years.

Over a third (33.5%), or 59 patients, waiting longer than 62 days for treatment last December were diagnosed with urological cancer.

The number of patients seen by a breast cancer specialist within two weeks of an urgent referral also fell.

Some 903 of 1,020 breast cancer patients (85%) were seen within 14 days in December last year, compared with all 1,353 patients the previous month and 99.8% (1,119) of 1,121 patients in December 2018.

The target is for all patients to be seen within 14 days, a feat achieved by the South Eastern, Southern and Western Trusts during October, November and December.

However, the Belfast Trust only achieved this target in October and November and failed to reach it in December.

The Northern Trust fell furthest short of the target, meeting just half of urgent breast cancer referrals within two weeks.

Last year the Department of Health held a consultation on the reorganisation of breast cancer services, examining how they could be better organised to improve results.

Meanwhile, the number of breast cancer referrals received in December 2019 fell to 1,518, compared with 1,934 in November and 2,270 in October.

Seven in 10 of referrals during the period (1,055) were classified as urgent.

Waiting times for a first definitive treatment following an urgent referral showed that 93.7% of patients (759 of 810) started treatment within a month in December.

In November that was 91% (849 of 933) and in October was 91.8% (928 of 1,011).

The ministerial target is for 98% of patients to receive their first definitive treatment within 31 days of a decision being made to treat them.

The Western Trust was the only health trust to achieve the target in October, November and December, as well as in December 2018.

Last week this newspaper reported that cancer patients in

Belfast were told treatment may have to stop because of the coronavirus.

In the Assembly earlier this week, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill broke down when asked by TUV leader Jim Allister what she would say to people being told their cancer treatment was to end. He also referred to the case of one of his constituents, a young woman.

The woman was later told she would be given treatment.