Tackling Unacceptable Cancer Waiting Times
That this Assembly expresses grave concern at Northern Ireland’s cancer waiting time statistics; believes it is deplorable that between October and December 2024, less than a third of patients were seen within 14-days following an urgent referral for breast cancer; stresses that lengthy waits for a diagnosis can negatively impact on a patient’s prognosis, available treatment options, and their mental health; notes the £215 million allocation in the Executive’s budget for 2025/2026 for addressing waiting lists; further believes this funding must be ring-fenced for initiatives which increase short-term capacity, whilst driving forward lasting improvements to efficiency within our health service; highlights, in particular, the value of elective care centres, rapid diagnosis centres, and mega clinics in addition to service reviews; welcomes the commitment in the Programme for Government to establish a Delivery Unit within the Executive Office to drive reform and transformation across the public sector; believes that the Delivery Unit can and should play a key role in supporting the Department of Health to reduce hospital waiting times; and calls on the Minister of Health, in this context, to engage proactively with his Executive colleagues on how best to apply ring-fenced funding for tackling waiting lists going forward.
Private Members' Motion
08/04/2025
29/04/2025
12/05/2025
View Official Report