38,000 cancer patients waiting more than 9wks for diagnosis

Charity’s fears over growing delays

A CHARITY has described growing waiting times for cancer patients as “an issue we can’t ignore”.

It was yesterday revealed 36.5% faced a delay of more than nine weeks for a diagnostic test in March, while the target is 25%. That equates to 38,000 patients waiting beyond the desired threshold. Cancer Research UK’S Margaret Carr said it is worrying people are still waiting too long for examinations. She added: “Quick access to tests is a vital part of diagnosing cancer early, and some of these people might have a symptom that could be cancer. “Patients must be diagnosed and treated swiftly if they are to have the best chance of survival and so we need to see fast progress to ensure no one is left waiting too long.” The Department of Health report showed there were 103,180 people waiting for a diagnostic service in Northern Ireland on March 31. That equates to an increase of 10.3% on the same quarter in 2016. However, its a slight decrease of 2.1% on the previous three months. Just over a third, 34.8%, were waiting for diagnosis within the Belfast HSC Trust while 20.4% were in the Southern Trust area and 13.2% in the South Easter Trust. The capital has the highest rate of patients waiting more than nine weeks with 51.9%, equating to 18,636 people. Almost 10,000 patients were waiting longer than 26 weeks for a diagnosis appointment. Ms Carr said: “These statistics are a clear indication the health service in Northern Ireland is not coping with increased demand for diagnostic tests and a cancer strategy is urgently needed due to the importance of early diagnosis. “This is an issue we can’t ignore. Unless action is taken, people in Northern Ireland will be left waiting far too long to receive a diagnosis. “This may lead to later diagnosis and increased anxiety at an already hugely distressing time.”