AQW 50341/22-27


Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast


Tabled Date: 02/07/2026
Answered On Date: 05/08/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any reason why the targeted programme for urgent breast cancer referrals are not driving up the number of women seen within the 14 day target window.


Answer:
While the targeted programme has improved access to breast assessment services, it has not yet resulted in a significant increase in the proportion seen within the 14-day target. This is primarily because a substantial backlog existed when the programme commenced, urgent referral volumes continue to exceed available capacity, and workforce constraints limit the pace at which capacity can be expanded.
The introduction of a single regional breast assessment waiting list in May 2025 has improved equity of access by enabling patients to be offered the earliest available appointment across Northern Ireland. However, a substantial backlog had accumulated when the regional list was established and much of the targeted additional evening and weekend capacity has been required to reduce this backlog while managing new urgent referrals.
These measures are reducing waiting times and improving access, although their impact on performance against the 14-day target has been limited in the short term because demand for urgent assessment continues to outstrip available capacity. Encouragingly, the regional waiting time for assessment has reduced from around 12 weeks in September 2025 to between four and five weeks by 3 July 2026.
Achieving the 14-day standard on a sustained basis will require service capacity to expand sufficiently to meet demand. Workforce constraints, increasing referral volumes and variation in service capacity continue to contribute to an underlying capacity gap. As a result, lasting improvement will require fundamental service redesign, rather than reliance on additional activity alone.
My Department has invested £5 million through the Elective Care Framework to strengthen capacity, resilience and sustainability across breast services. Officials in my Department continue to work closely with Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts, under the oversight of the Breast Operational Delivery Network, to modernise breast services through the development of a sustainable consultant-led model, supported by a strengthened multidisciplinary workforce, including advanced practice roles.
This approach will improve resilience, increase capacity and support the long-term sustainability of breast assessment services across Northern Ireland. However, the full benefits of these changes will take time to be realised, as staff require additional training and development to undertake enhanced roles.
My Department remains committed to delivering a resilient, regionally coordinated breast service and improving performance for all patients requiring urgent assessment.