Seven-week Wait For Some Red Flag Breast Cancer Patients

Some patients who person been reddish flagged for bosom crab assessments are waiting up to 7 weeks to beryllium seen successful Northern Ireland.

The target group by nan Northern Ireland's devolved Department of Health - which oversees 5 wellness and societal attraction trusts - is 14 days.

BBC News NI understands that respective bosom crab consultants are concerned that waiting times person spiralled since a caller location strategy for handling referrals was introduced.

The strategy was criticised for creating a postcode lottery web as, depending connected a patient's address, immoderate were being seen much quickly than others.

Before its introduction, wellness trusts managed their ain reddish emblem referrals.

In May, each reddish emblem referrals successful nan Western Trust were seen wrong 14 days, making it 1 of nan amended performing trusts astatine gathering its target.

However, wrong weeks of nan location strategy starting, immoderate patients were waiting up to 7 weeks, pinch nan latest information showing 250 patients waited much than 14 days for a reddish emblem bosom session appointment.

More than 1,100 group crossed Northern Ireland are connected a reddish emblem list.

One wellness spot root told BBC News NI that nan location strategy was proving excessively analyzable to manage, pinch projections of waiting lists rising to 11 weeks by nan extremity of September.

The caller reddish emblem inaugural was announced successful May by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt successful consequence to nan "unacceptable" waiting times for bosom crab services successful Northern Ireland.

The purpose was to alteration group from crossed each nan wellness trusts to entree nan earliest assignment disposable to them, nary matter wherever they live.

For instance, patients surviving successful nan South Eastern Health Trust person been offered referrals and screening appointments successful nan Western Health Trust including astatine nan weekend.

Not each patients, however, are capable to make that travel aliases a play appointment.

Nesbitt said that it wasn't acceptable for women successful 1 spot area to person to hold importantly longer to beryllium assessed than women successful different spot area "so this will thief reside nan disparities betwixt nan trusts".

As nan strategy has been operating for astir 3 months, others person said it needs clip to furniture successful and that summertime time off among medics has besides been an issue.

Sources person told nan BBC that immoderate of nan wellness trusts consciousness they are successful a amended position to negociate nan lists, but arsenic immoderate bosom units are amended staffed than others, this does not nutrient an equitable assignment system.

BBC News NI has contacted each of nan wellness trusts and nan Department of Health for comment.