AQW 48044/22-27


Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast


Tabled Date: 05/06/2026
Answered On Date: 29/06/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the adolescent and young adults cancer service reconfiguration programme.


Answer:
In February 2025, my Department published the Regional Standards of Care for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer in Northern Ireland (NI). These standards set out a regional framework to ensure that adolescents and young adults aged 13–25 diagnosed with cancer receive consistent, equitable and developmentally appropriate care across NI.
The standards support implementation of the Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy and align with best practice models for teenage and young adult cancer services. They can be found at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/regional-standards-care-adolescents-and-young-adults-cancer-northern-ireland.
A regional governance structure has been established to oversee implementation of the standards, with clinical leadership in place within the Belfast Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust.
Work is also progressing to develop a Regional Networked Service Model for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer services. Under this model, Belfast HSC Trust has been identified as the regional Principal Treatment Centre (PTC), providing strategic leadership, specialist multidisciplinary expertise and regional AYA multidisciplinary meetings.
Funding for the Principal Treatment Centre (PTC) model was allocated during 2025/26 and recruitment to the relevant posts has been successful, with staff now in place to support implementation of the new regional service model.
The model will operate on a shared-care basis with designated hospitals across all HSC Trust areas, enabling young people to access specialist regional services while receiving elements of their care closer to home where appropriate.
The reconfiguration programme aims to improve access to age-appropriate specialist care, clinical trials, psychosocial support and coordinated care pathways for young people with cancer throughout NI.