AQW 31822/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 23/09/2025
Answered On Date: 13/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail how his Department intends to reduce diagnostic delays for ovarian cancer, particularly the delays in obtaining and processing tests such as CA125 blood tests and ultrasounds.

Answer:

The Department of Health recognises the critical importance of early detection and timely diagnosis in improving outcomes for women affected by ovarian cancer.

Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN) referral guidance recommends measuring CA125 in primary care in women with symptoms that suggest ovarian cancer and, if levels are raised, to arrange an ultrasound scan of the abdomen and pelvis and/or refer to gynaecology as a red flag.

Department officials have been advised that there is no systemic problem with delays in processing CA125 results.

There are however recognised challenges in the available capacity for diagnostic imaging including non-obstetric ultrasound (NOUS) and gynaecology services in secondary care which are impacting on the timely delivery of diagnostics.

The recently published Elective Care Framework Implementation and Funding Plan sets out clear proposals for how we will systematically tackle the backlog of patients waiting longer than Ministerial standards and how we will transform services to allow us to meet the population’s demands in the future. Examples within the plan that may support the diagnosis of ovarian cancer include:

Gynaecology (£3.5m) - Demand for outpatients, daycase and inpatient red flag and time critical gynaecology services is significantly above capacity available. There is a need to expand gynaecology capacity to manage red flag and time critical patients and expand capacity in medical, nursing and allied health profession patient pathways. This investment will allow for 4,100 assessments and 900 treatments.

Diagnostic Imaging - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) and Non-Obstetric Ultrasound (NOUS) (£12m) – based on the current spend, use of existing capital equipment, and available staffing infrastructure, there is the potential to reduce the current demand/capacity gap in regional imaging. This will potentially include an additional 5,880 funded CT/MRI sessions and 2,000 funded NOUS sessions per annum.

In addition, my Department’s has established a Regional Health and Social Care (HSC) Gynaecology Services Forum to oversee the implementation of service improvement recommendations from the “Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Gynaecology Report for Northern Ireland," published in January 2024. GIRFT recommendations include streamlining patient pathways to improve diagnostic pathway and efficiency in patient care. This includes development of pathways that use a range of skills mix of nursing and allied health professionals to assist with triage and diagnostic procedures including colposcopy and hysteroscopy.