The Department of Health has released Accredited Official Statistics on cancer waiting times for Northern Ireland covering January to March 2026.

Across the quarter, 2,954 patients began their first definitive cancer treatment following a decision to treat, a decrease of 0.4% (11) from the previous quarter's 2,965. Of these, 87.3% (2,580) started treatment within 31 days of the decision, compared with 90.1% (2,672) in the prior period.

Data on the proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral are undergoing further validation and are not included in this publication. Corrected, fully validated 62-day figures will be issued separately as Accredited Official Statistics in due course.

For breast cancer pathways, 3,890 patients were seen by a specialist following an urgent referral during the quarter, down by 0.3% (12) from 3,902. Some 7.9% (306) were seen within 14 days of referral, up from 5.5% (213) in the previous quarter. Trusts received 6,665 referrals for suspect breast cancer, slightly higher than 6,658 last quarter. Of these, 86.2% (5,745) were categorised as urgent, compared with 86.3% (5,748) previously. Totals may be inflated as inter-Trust transfers can create duplicate referrals.

On 9 November 2023, the South Eastern HSC Trust introduced 'encompass', a new electronic patient record, with roll-outs in Belfast on 6 June 2024, the Northern Trust on 7 November 2024, and the Southern and Western Trusts on 8 May 2025. Owing to this transition, validated Belfast Trust data for the quarter ending June 2024, and its breast cancer referrals for the quarter ending September 2024, are unavailable. Validated breast referrals for the Southern and Western Trusts for the quarter ending June 2025 are also unavailable.

Figures drawn from encompass are considered to be 'official statistics in development'. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, users should exercise caution, as these data are not directly comparable with legacy (pre-encompass) series; however, they provide a meaningful picture of the measures and are of sufficient quality for publication and use.

For context, the draft cancer waiting time targets state that at least 98% of patients should begin first definitive treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat; at least 95% should start treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspect cancer; and all urgent breast cancer referrals should be seen within 14 days.