The Department of Health has released Accredited Official Statistics regarding cancer waiting times in Northern Ireland for the quarter ending September 2025.

The data covers patient access to hospital services during July, August, and September, a period marked by the continued implementation of the 'encompass' electronic patient record system across all Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts.

The report details hospital performance against three primary ministerial targets:

• 31-Day Target: 2,841 patients began their first definitive treatment following a decision to treat. Of these, 88.0% (2,499) started treatment within the 31-day window, a slight percentage increase from 87.9% in the previous quarter.

• 62-Day Target: 1,430 patients started treatment following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer. Only 30.1% (430) of these patients were treated within 62 days, representing a decrease from the 32.5% recorded in the prior quarter.

• 14-Day Breast Cancer Target: For the first time since the transition to a regional service, data for all five Trusts was available. Of the 2,699 patients seen by a specialist following an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer, 6.8% (183) were seen within 14 days. The statistics show that during the quarter, HSC Trusts received 6,194 referrals for suspected breast cancer, with 85.7% classified as urgent. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt noted that the 6.8% performance figure for the 14-day target reflects an early stage in the transition to a new regional breast assessment model.

Minister Nesbitt stated: "Today's cancer waiting time figures reflect an early stage in the transition to our new regional breast assessment service. While there is still more to do, the progress since then shows that reform was necessary, that it was the right decision, and that it is already delivering results."

The Minister highlighted that a regional waiting list initiative launched in October has already provided 928 additional "red-flag" slots through evening and weekend clinics. According to the Department, the average wait for a regional breast assessment fell from 12 weeks in September to just over seven weeks by mid-December.

Modernisation and Investment

The ongoing roll-out of the 'encompass' system means that current figures are classified as "official statistics in development" and are not directly comparable to legacy data. The Health Minister acknowledged that while performance dipped during the implementation phase, the changes are designed to end a "postcode lottery" where access to care was dictated by a patient's location.

To support long-term improvements, £5 million in recurrent funding has been allocated to implement a modern consultant-led model. The Department is also working with NHS Scotland and NHS Forth Valley to share best practices and expand capacity through the 2022 Cancer Strategy and the Elective Care Framework.