Macmillan calls for leadership to avert Northern Ireland cancer crisis

Responding to the latest cancer treatment data Sarah Christie, Macmillan Policy and Public Affairs Manager for Northern Ireland said:

“This data offers a damning report on cancer care, and it begs the question — how many times must performance reach an all-time low before decisive action is taken to improve it?

“The consistent downward spiral we have seen in cancer care over recent years can now only be seen as nothing short of neglect. People with cancer, and the hard-working health professionals who care for them, are being failed by a Northern Ireland Executive that continues to sit back while the cancer care system sinks under the weight of outdated equipment and a chronic shortage of specially trained staff.

“The harsh and sad reality of cancer care in Northern Ireland in 2024 is that far too many people diagnosed with cancer will have their lives thrown into chaos by treatment delays, and that survival rates for some forms of cancer are lagging many years behind other countries.

“That comes at a time when many people with cancer are facing greater pressures than ever before. Cancer has always affected every part of someone’s life — from healthcare and finances to work, housing and relationships — but right now the healthcare system simply does not have the resources to meet their needs.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. The reforms that need to be made to cancer care have been documented in reports dating as far back as the early 2000s. The solutions are there. What is needed now is for the Executive to provide the leadership, the courage and investment required to deliver those reforms and make sure people with cancer can get the care they deserve and so desperately need.”

Key facts

• The data suggests that all three national cancer waiting times targets in Northern Ireland were missed again in January to March 2024 and that performance against the 62-day target fell to a new worst-ever level, showing that cancer services in Northern Ireland are still struggling under intense pressure. In January to March 2024, fewer than one in three people (30%) with cancer started treatment within 62-days of an urgent GP referral
• For some cancer types, performance is even more concerning. For example, in January to March 2024 just 21% of people with lower gastrointestinal cancer, and 21% of those with urological cancer started treatment within two months of an urgent referral for suspected cancer
• Macmillan’s previous analysis suggests that 2023 was a new worst year on record for one of the two main cancer waiting times targets in Northern Ireland (the 62-day target), and the second worst year on record for the other (31-day target). In 2023 at least 1,200 people with cancer in Northern Ireland waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, and at least 3,400 waited more than two months to start treatment following an urgent referral for suspected cancer
• Other recent analysis by Macmillan shows one-year cancer survival rates in Northern Ireland are lagging up to 15 years behind other European countries