Western Trust hits 31 day treatment target for suspected urgent cancers

Under the Department of Health’s cancer waiting time targets at least 98 per cent of patients urgently referred with a suspected cancer should begin their first definitive treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat.

According to the latest statistics for the quarter ending December 2022 the Western Trust had the highest proportion of patients starting treatment within 31 days (99.4 per cent, 468 of 471 patients), while the Belfast Trust had the lowest (83.3 per cent, 929 of 1,115 patients).

The Western Trust was the only health authority in the North to achieve the target.

The picture was less positive when it came to waiting times for a first treatment following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.

The target is for at least 95 per cent of patients urgently referred by a GP with a suspected cancer to begin their first definitive treatment within 62 days.

In the Western Trust the proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days was only 40.3 per cent (117 out of 290).

The local health authority did come close, however, to ensuring that all urgent breast cancer referrals were seen within 14 days.

In the Western Trust 99.4 per cent (621 out of 625) patients were seen. Only Belfast achieved the 100 per cent target.

The latest data show that during the quarter ending December 2022, 6,050 referrals were received by Health and Social Care Trusts for suspect breast cancer, of which 63.5 per cent (3,844) were classified as urgent.

In the Western Trust 1,024 referrals were received for suspected breast cancer, of which 64.4 per cent (659) were classified as urgent.

The draft 2022/23 waiting times targets for cancer state that:

• at least 98 per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer should receive their first definitive treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat.

• at least 95 per cent of patients should begin their first definitive treatment for cancer within 62 days following an urgent GP referral for suspect cancer.

• all urgent breast cancer referrals should be seen within 14 days.

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