The Conservatives have slammed the Executive for ‘failing cancer patients’ in Northern Ireland, after the NHS here missed a key target for treatment by a 20% margin. “People in Northern Ireland are being let down badly. We spend substantially more on healthcare and yet our cancer patients are being left in the lurch” according to Conservatives spokesperson, Neil Wilson
“The NHS has a target that at least 85% of patients should start treatment within 62 days of a GP referral for suspected cancer”, Neil explained. In England between July and September, 83.5% were treated within that timeframe - the third quarter in a row the target was missed. However, today’s figures show that in Northern Ireland the percentage of patients first treated for cancer within 62 days decreased from 72.6% in July 2014 (230 out of 317) to 64.5% in September 2014 (213 out of 330 patients).
“People with cancer are being failed by an oblivious Executive”, Neil continued. “In England, clearly there is work to do, but the NHS there is at least getting close to its target. In Northern Ireland, we’re not within a million miles of 85% – and the situation is getting worse. The difference is that the Conservative health secretary is prepared to take difficult decisions and empower nurses and doctors, while successive DUP ministers entrench waste and bureaucracy instead.”
Mr Wilson called on the DUP to resign from the health portfolio.
“They have clearly failed on another key issue within the NHS. This is a life and death matter, yet the DUP Ministers seem to have no idea why things are going so wrong and no plan to do anything about it. To miss this target by 20% is a scandal. Yet that news passes without even an apology from Jim Wells”