WHSCT posted best cancer performance

Kieran Donnelly, in a new ‘General Report on the Health and Social Care Sector’ which covered 2014/15 to 2016/17 and was published this morning, singled out the WHSCT for praise for meeting a number of key cancer targets.

He noted how “the 14 day breast cancer target was only achieved in 2016/17 by the Western Trust”.

The local health authority, the NIAO report said, met the 100 per cent target in that year and hit the bar with 99 per cent in both 2014/15 and 2015/16.

Equally, the 31 day cancer treatment 98 per cent target was achieved in all three years by the Western Trust.

Elsewhere, however, no Trust achieved any of the outpatient and accident and emergency targets, or the 62 day cancer treatment target in any of the years.

And the 13 week inpatient target was only achieved by the Northern Trust.

Mr. Donnelly said: “Since we last reported on 2012/13 and 2013/14, performance in respect of key waiting time targets has clearly been very disappointing.

“It is particularly concerning that targets for inpatient and outpatient care are still not being met, despite having been significantly reduced from 2014/15.”