Cancer waiting times: Western Trust records best performance of any health authority

New cancer waiting times for the quarter ending December 2023 published by the Department of Health on Thursday show that the Western Trust had the highest percentage of patients starting treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat (97.6 per cent) although no Trust met the target of seeing 98 per cent of patients start treatment within 31 days.

Out of 502 patients seen in the Western Trust over the quarter 490 were treated within 31 days and only 12 had to wait for longer than a month.

The Western Trust equally reported the highest percentage of patients starting treatment within 62 days at 39.6 per cent (113.5 of 286.5). A total of 173 patients waited longer than two months.

The lowest percentage was reported by the Belfast Trust at 23 per cent (89 of 386).

At least 95 per cent of patients urgently referred by a GP with suspected cancer should begin their first definitive treatment within 62 days so the Western Trust did not meet this target.

And no Trust achieved the target of seeing all urgent breast cancer referrals within 14 days although the Western Trust came close and saw the highest percentage of patients within 14 days (99.8 per cent).

During the quarter the Western Trust dealt with 847 urgent breast cancer referrals over the quarter. Only two patients had to wait longer than a fortnight.

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