A new regional waiting list for breast cancer assessment is to be introduced in Northern Ireland in the coming months.

This new initiative has been announced by the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, in response to the “unacceptable” waiting times for breast cancer services in Northern Ireland.

This will enable people from across Northern Ireland to access the earliest appointment available to them, no matter where they live.

Mike Nesbitt said “it is not acceptable for women in one trust area to have to wait significantly longer to be assessed than women in another trust area” so this will “help address the disparities” between the trusts.

The waiting times for breast cancer services in Northern Ireland have been consistently poor.

A ministerial target states that all urgent breast cancer referrals should be seen within 14 days.

The latest cancer waiting times in July 2024 revealed that this target set by the health minister had not been met.

Those figures showed shocking statistics: Between January and March, only 34.1% of patients requiring breast cancer treatment were seen within 14 days of their GP urgent referral.

The latest cancer waiting times are due to be released on Thursday.

The health minister said he has also asked for a “wider review of breast cancer services to be undertaken at pace”.

He said engagement with clinicians, people with lived experience of cancer and cancer charities will be central to this review.

Mike Nesbitt said his “overriding priority as minister is to secure better outcomes for patients”.

“The review of breast cancer services will include examining options for consolidating the number of locations where assessment and surgery are provided.

“At the same time, it will consider how aftercare and chemotherapy are provided, as these services should happen as close to home as possible,” he said.

He added that patients are prepared to travel for specialist assessment and treatment but want follow-up and continuing care to be closer to home, which is what he is aiming for.

“Change is happening in our health service and its pace will be accelerated,” he said.

A hospital reconfiguration framework is to be published shortly, which the minister said will aim to describe Northern Ireland’s hospital system and provide a strategic context for future decisions.