36 Northern Ireland Cancer Charities stand shoulder to shoulder in the wake of unacceptable cancer waiting times figures

Coming just days after the third anniversary of the publication of the under resourced NI Cancer Strategy, today’s latest NI Cancer Waiting Times Statistics show an urgent need for all local politicians and governing bodies to commit to addressing cancer.

The Department of Health figures show that once again cancer waits remain stagnant and far below target. Of the 1445 cancer patients starting treatment following urgent GP referral for suspect cancer, 37.9% started their treatment within the 62 day target from referral (target: 95%); of the 2940 cancer patients who started their first definitive treatment, 87.5% began treatment within 31 days following a decision to treat (target: 98%); of the 3512 patients seen by a breast cancer specialist following an urgent referral for breast cancer, 31.7% were seen within 14 days of the referral (target: 100%). These statistics cover cancer services in the NI Trust hospitals from October 2024 through to the end of December 2024. Those Trusts running Encompass are ‘official statistics in development’ and not directly comparable with Trusts not running Encompass.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland cancer charities are extremely worried that these unacceptable delays are putting lives at risk. A 2020 study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that for many cancers a four-week delay to surgery increases the risk of dying by 6-8%.

Standing shoulder to shoulder and demanding change, 36 local and national cancer charities have come together under the umbrella of the NI Cancer Charities Coalition (NICCC) to call for urgent action to ensure better outcomes for people affected by cancer.

Speaking about the results, Richard Spratt, NICCC Chair and Chief Executive at Cancer Focus NI, said:

“It is completely unacceptable that at a time when the NI Cancer Strategy marks another year with large parts of this critical action plan remaining underdelivered due to limitations on funding, we also see Northern Ireland’s cancer waiting time targets once again fall below target, despite the hard work of our health professionals. This is not a surprise and should have been prevented. Many of our member charities and others warned of the implications of lack of funding when figures were at a warning level. We continued to raise our voices on behalf of the people we advocate for when the level hit critical. And now, we have come together with a unified voice because we are looking at what can only be described as a cancer crisis.”

The NICCC also warns that the Ministerial Targets are only the tip of the iceberg and do not give a comprehensive view of the issues facing wider cancer care in Northern Ireland. An example of this is that someone who is diagnosed in an A&E setting is not included in the cancer waiting times, which causes further inequity in cancer.

Cancer charities across Northern Ireland stand ready to bring their experience to support the Department of Health and wider Executive to ensure the Cancer Strategy works, and people who urgently need care receive it.

Current waiting times are unacceptable, and cancer charities expect better for people in Northern Ireland. Delayed diagnosis results in delayed treatment, which can make all the difference between life and death. The NICCC members are calling on elected representatives who have a duty of care to ensure that people are given the best opportunities and standards of care when cancer impacts them and their loved ones.

Charities stressed that anyone who has any concerns about or symptoms of cancer should see their GP as soon as possible. “Despite these concerning waits, if you notice a potential symptom or if something doesn’t feel right – speak to your doctor and ask for an appointment. They want to hear from you, and spotting cancer earlier can make all the difference,” Richard said.

Demanding action, NICCC members are calling on decision makers to immediately step up and lead the way to find the funding needed and to ensure the health service is fully supported to urgently deliver the much-needed cancer strategy for the people of Northern Ireland. The cancer charities are fully behind the NI Executive to help deliver on whatever changes are necessary to see cancer waiting times improve across all Trusts.

Richard explained:

“Never before have cancer charities in Northern Ireland come together in such numbers for a single cause. In 2022, individually we said we were committed to making the NI Cancer Strategy more than a theoretical plan and that hasn’t changed. Now, as a collective voice, we feel it is the necessary time to work with Stormont, and if necessary, hold them to account. It is vital that this and future governments make the transformations necessary to improve the outcomes for NI’s biggest killer.

Notes:

• The Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition (NICCC) was launched in June 2024 and is a partnership of community and voluntary organisations with a shared vision across the cancer landscape of improving services and outcomes for cancer patients in Northern Ireland, the promotion of research and prevention efforts, as well as maximising support for people living with cancer.
• The members of the Coalition’s Interim Executive are Cancer Focus Northern Ireland (Chair), Cancer Research UK (Vice Chair), Macmillan Cancer Support (Secretary), Action Cancer (Treasurer), Cancer Fund for Children, and Friends of the Cancer Centre. The remaining 30 members of the Coalition are: Anthony Nolan, ALK Positive Lung, Cancer Lifeline, Care for Cancer, Charis Cancer Care, Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, Hive Cancer Support, Hospice UK, Kidney Cancer UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI, Leukaemia Care, Leukaemia UK, Lymphoma Action, Make 2nds Count, METUPUK, Myeloma UK, NIPANC, OGCancerNI, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, SWELL, Target Ovarian Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, The Brain Tumour Charity, and Young Lives Vs. Cancer.
• Mortality due to cancer treatment delay: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2020; 371 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m4087 (Published 04 November 2020)
• Pictured is the Executive Committee of the NI Cancer Charities Coalition (NICCC). (L-R) Richard Spratt, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland (NICCC Chair), Phil Alexander, Cancer Fund for Children, Gareth Kirk, Action Cancer (NICCC Treasurer), Sarah Christie, Macmillan Cancer Support (NICCC Secretary), Liz Morrison, Cancer Research UK (NICCC Vice Chair), and Ana Wilkinson, Friends of the Cancer Centre.