Northern Ireland Breast Cancer Waiting Times Reach Crisis Point, Leaving Patients in “Limbo”
A growing number of women in Northern Ireland face agonizing delays in receiving breast cancer diagnoses and treatment, prompting urgent concerns from healthcare professionals and sparking outrage among patients. The situation has deteriorated to the point where waiting times are now the worst in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK.
Urgent Referrals, Lengthy Waits
A County Antrim GP, Dr. Jilly O’Hagan, has voiced her “huge concern” for women awaiting breast cancer treatment after three patients in her practice received late diagnoses. These cases are part of a disturbing trend: 32 women at the Notting Hill Medical Practice, within the Northern Trust, were flagged as high-priority – a “red-flag referral” indicating suspected cancer – within a five-month period this year.
A red-flag referral signifies a GP’s belief that a patient requires urgent attention based on specific clinical symptoms outlined by the Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN). Ideally, patients with such referrals should be seen by a specialist within two weeks. However, three of Dr. O’Hagan’s patients endured waits exceeding eight weeks, with nine others still awaiting appointments, one for over ten weeks.
“The wait is traumatic,” Dr. O’Hagan told BBC News NI. One patient, who requested anonymity, described being “in limbo for months” and simply wanting “the cancer out.” Faced with an estimated wait of over 80,000 women on the waiting list, she opted for a private diagnosis, which confirmed stage two breast cancer. “I am furious about the delay and am feeling the strain mentally and physically,” she stated.
A System in Crisis
Dr. O’Hagan sharply contrasted the situation in Northern Ireland with that of England, Scotland, and Wales, questioning why women in her region should receive a “substandard service.” She emphasized that the newly implemented regional breast cancer service is failing to function effectively. “There is a bottleneck, they are not meeting the targets for women who are red-flagged,” she explained. “It never used to be like this, it’s not working.”
The delays are not limited to initial diagnosis. Following a diagnosis, there is a 62-day target for treatment to begin. However, between April and June 2025, approximately 840 patients (67%) waited longer than 62 days to start cancer treatment after an urgent GP referral.
Personal Toll of Delays
The impact of these delays extends beyond statistics. A woman in the Southern Trust area, diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, recounted how “faffing around between various health trusts and hospitals” significantly delayed her diagnosis. She described feeling like an “emotional wreck” after receiving conflicting information from different healthcare providers.
“My care has been inadequate, not joined up and impersonal,” she said. Her initial symptom, a “pull” under her armpit, emerged in June. Despite a history of clear mammograms, a “pea-sized” lump was detected during a GP appointment in early July, triggering a red-flag referral. However, confusion ensued as she was initially directed to Craigavon Area Hospital and then referred to the Ulster Hospital, located in a different health trust. After almost ten weeks, she received her stage four diagnosis in August and began chemotherapy at the end of October. “It’s been horrific and my family and I are emotional wrecks,” she shared, prompting her to write to the health minister.
Cancer Research UK Sounds Alarm
Naser Turabi, from Cancer Research UK, confirmed that Northern Ireland’s cancer waiting times are the worst in the UK. He warned that the prolonged delays pose a serious threat to patient safety and survival. “It’s a matter of patient safety and survival with around 70% of patients missing the target every month, that represents thousands of people whose treatment is being delayed and they are potentially coming to harm,” Turabi told BBC News NI. Research indicates that each four-week delay in treatment reduces patient survival by an average of 10%.
Funding Diverted Amidst Growing Crisis
Despite the acknowledged crisis, resources have been diverted from addressing the waiting lists. Earlier this year, £215 million was allocated to tackle hospital backlogs. However, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt recently revealed that approximately £70 million of that funding has been redirected to address the Department of Health’s (DoH) substantial deficit, stemming from a £600 million budget shortfall.
The Department of Health acknowledged the insufficient capacity within the breast assessment service, despite the implementation of a single regional waiting list in May aimed at addressing regional inequities. £5 million has been allocated through the Elective Care Framework to address this capacity shortfall. Minister Nesbitt expressed recognition that delays cause “heightened patient anxiety” and noted that recent wait times have decreased to around seven weeks, while acknowledging this remains too long.
While the Department of Health reports that over 122,600 red-flag or time-critical patients have been seen or treated since April 2025, and outpatient waits over four years are down 29%, the experiences of patients like those highlighted by Dr. O’Hagan and Cancer Research UK paint a starkly different picture. The ongoing crisis in Northern Ireland’s breast cancer services demands urgent and sustained action to ensure timely access to life-saving care for all women.
