Western Trust reliant on single dermatology consultant to deal with red flag skin cancer appointments, says Mike Nesbitt

Mr. Nesbitt was asked about skin cancer waiting times by the DUP MLA Diane Dodds at Stormont.

"The ongoing challenges are with consultant recruitment for dermatology, which, sadly, has resulted in a long wait for red-flag outpatient appointments across most trusts.

"The Western Trust in particular is reliant on a single-handed consultant. The Belfast Trust has seen a significant reduction due to leavers. Recruitment exercises have been undertaken but have generally been unsuccessful, I am afraid to say,” said the minister.

Raising the matter Ms. Dodds said: “The most recent cancer waiting times, published last month, reveal that 87·5% of patients started treatment within 31 days of diagnosis, against a target of 98 per cent. The percentage decreased from that in the previous quarter and that in the same quarter of last year, with the poorest-performing areas being urology, gynaecology and skin cancer treatment.”