The latest waiting times published by the Department of Health and Social Care indicate that people diagnosed with cancer are receiving their treatment more quickly.
Targets and waiting times for hospital appointments and life-threatening 999 calls were published for the first time in April 2017, fulfilling a commitment within Delivering the Programme for Government.
Figures for the period 1 January – 31 March 2017 show cancer care on the Island is improving in three key areas compared to the previous quarter:
- 78% of patients referred to hospital with suspected cancer were seen within 2 weeks, an improvement of 8%
- 87% of patients diagnosed with cancer received treatment within 31 days of diagnosis, an improvement of 13%
- 83% of patients diagnosed with cancer received treatment within 62 days of urgent referral by a GP, an improvement of 14%
The percentage of life-threatening 999 calls being attended by ambulance crews within 20 minutes also improved, jumping from 82% to 91%, whilst attendance by a first-responder within eight minutes worsened slightly by 1%, falling to 58%.
The number of patients being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving at the Emergency Department at Noble’s Hospital remained the same, with 75% of patients being dealt with during that timeframe.
For outpatient hospital appointments, the number of people being seen for their first outpatient appointment within 52 weeks increased to 88%, an improvement of 1%. There was also a reduction in the percentage of people waiting longer than three months for their first hospital outpatient appointment, falling to 46%, an improvement of 2%.
The performance for inpatient appointments remains unchanged with 86% having their operation or procedure within 52 weeks of being placed on the waiting list following their outpatient appointment and 35% waiting longer than six months to have their operation or procedure following their outpatient appointment.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Kate Beecroft MHK, said:
'The team at Noble’s Hospital has been working tirelessly to meet the new targets we have set for cancer care waiting times and I am very pleased with the tremendous progress that has been made.
In July 2016 only 38% of those with a suspected cancer were being seen within two weeks, so it’s easy to see the efforts that have been made to reach the current level of 78%.
'There clearly remains much work to do, especially in areas such as orthopaedics and pain management, but many waiting times are moving in the right direction. The Department is committed to publishing waiting times every three months and welcomes the added public scrutiny this brings.'
The latest waiting list times are available at www.gov.im/waitingtimes
