Recovery plan to address issues with NI cancer services

Health Minister Robin Swann says improving waiting times for cancer patients in NI will be major priority for him. Credit: PA

Plans are being finalised to address immediate issues with cancer services in Northern Ireland and to ensure they are “resilient to future surges of Covid-19”.

Health Minister Robin Swann has said the pandemic has sadly had an impact on patients living with cancer and their families and exacerbated “already unacceptable waiting times”.

Making improvements to waiting times, he says, will be a “major priority” for him as Health Minister.

“Officials are currently finalising a Cancer Recovery Plan to address the immediate issues in cancer services with the aim of getting us to a place where services are stronger than before; and to ensure that the delivery of cancer services is resilient to potential future surges of Covid-19 and to the projected increase in cases of cancer,” Mr Swann said.

“The actions in the recovery plan will also be fully aligned with priorities in the draft Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy.

“I have already introduced a regional process to ensure that cancer surgery will be delivered on the basis of clinical need, making best use of all available theatre capacity across the province.”

Mr Swann added: “As part of the wider recovery plan for Northern Ireland, we are developing green pathways (Covid-free areas or buildings) for non-Covid-19 care.

“Plans are underway to increase capacity to address backlogs in screening, diagnostic, and treatment services as a consequence of the impact of Covid-19.

“In addition to supporting additional in house capacity within the HSC, we are planning to provide additional diagnostic and surgical capacity through the independent sector and other UK and RoI providers.”

According to the Health Minister, the costs of delivering the recovery plan – along with reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment – are “substantial”.

“I have said before, but it is worth repeating that significant recurrent investment is required to support the service to address waiting times and to prepare for the new pressures that we know are coming, in terms of growth in demand and the particular care and support needs of those patients who are likely to be diagnosed later as a consequence of the impact of Covid-19 on cancer referrals and care pathways,” Mr Swann said.

Figures released by the Department of Health on Thursday show details of waiting times for patients accessing cancer services at hospitals during October, November and December 2020.

They have been described as “deeply concerning” by Dervilia Kernaghan, head of care services at Cancer Focus NI.

“Unfortunately, the recent reorientation of the health care service due to the impact of Covid has come at a cost to planned and scheduled care, especially cancer services that already had lengthy waiting times even prior to the pandemic,” she said.

“It’s clear that particular figures such as the 14-day target for urgent referrals continue to fall short and this is extremely distressing for those who are waiting to be seen.”

Ms Kernaghan added: “We fully understand the extreme pressures currently on our health service and appreciate just how hard medical staff have been working in an already very stretched system.

“However, we need a long-term plan. We urgently need a strategy around how services are being re-set and Cancer Focus NI has for some time been calling for a twin-track health care system.

“The impact of delayed treatment on patients is devastating, compounded by all the other stresses associated with Covid, and our hearts go out to them.”

Latest figures

In December 2020, 333 patients started their first treatment for cancer following an urgent referral for suspected cancer.

The target is within 62 days of an urgent GP referral.

Of the 333 patients, 55.3% (184 patients) started treatment with the target time period.

That compared with 53.2% (206 of 387 patients) in November, 59.4% (224 of 377 patients) in October, and 49.9% (175 of the 351 patients) in December 2019.

When it comes to patients being first seen following an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer, the target is within 14 days.

During December 2020, 1,499 patients were seen by a breast cancer specialist for a first assessment following an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer.

Of those, 62.2% (933) were seen within 14 days, compared with 46.8% (709 of the 1,514 patients) in November, 70.5% (947 of the 1,343 patients) in October and 88.5% (903 of the 1,020 patients) in December 2019.

In December 2020, 1,848 new referrals for suspect breast cancer were made.

That compares to 2,117 in November, 2,334 in October and 1,518 in December 2019. Referrals for suspect breast cancer can be for advice, assessment, or both.

Of the new referrals in December 2020, 1,350 (73.1%) were classified as urgent.

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