Western Trust outperforms counterparts and hits 98.6% cancer target

The latest cancer waiting times statistics for October, November and December 2021 show the Western Trust was the only authority to meet its 31-day waiting time target.

"The Western HSC Trust achieved the 98% Ministerial target in all three months of the quarter. This target was not met by any other Trust in any month of the quarter," a new report on the statistics shows.

During December 2021, 138 patients commenced their first treatment for cancer in the Western Trust following a decision to treat being taken. Of these, 98.6% (136) started treatment within 31 days, compared with 98.2% (166 of the 169 patients) in November, 99.4% (176 of the 177 patients) in October and 98.4% (125 of the 127 patients) in December 2020.

The Western Trust also outperformed its counterparts on its target for the commencement of a first treatment within 62 days following an urgent GP referral for suspect cancer.

The percentage of patients treated within 62 days in the Western Trust was 59.3% in October, 48.6% in November and 50.3% in December.

This was considerably higher than the average for the north: October 45.1%; November 41.6%; and December 43.0%.

The percentage of patients seen within 14 days by a breast cancer specialist following an urgent referral for suspect cancer in the Western Trust was also higher than every other health authority bar Belfast.

The percentage of patients seen within 14 days here was 60.6% in October, 75.1% in November and 60.9% in December.

This was again significantly better than the average for the north: October 49.2%; November 38.1; and December 43.1%.