'traumatic Wait' For Women Facing Breast Cancer Diagnoses

A County Antrim GP has said she is "hugely concerned" for women who request bosom crab curen successful Northern Ireland aft 3 patients successful her room received precocious crab diagnoses.

The patients are among 32 women successful nan Notting Hill Medical Practice, based successful nan Northern Trust, who were red-flagged wrong a five-month play this year.

The 3 women, who person asked for their identities to beryllium protected, had to hold much than 8 weeks to beryllium seen by a consultant, while 9 others are still waiting, 1 for much than 10 weeks.

Dr Jilly O'Hagan told BBC News NI nan hold is "traumatic".

One of nan women said she has been successful limbo for months and "just wants nan crab out".

She said that aft being told location were much than 80,000 women successful beforehand of her connected nan waiting list, she paid for a backstage test which confirmed she had shape 2 bosom cancer.

The female said she is "furious" astir nan hold and is emotion nan strain mentally and physically.

Dr O'Hagan said specified failings are not happening successful England, Scotland and Wales and asked why women successful Northern Ireland should beryllium getting a "substandard service".

"The caller location bosom crab work is not functioning - location is simply a bottleneck, they are not gathering nan targets for women who are red-flagged," Dr O'Hagan said.

"It ne'er utilized to beryllium for illustration this, it's not working."

A red-flag referral intends a GP believes nan diligent should beryllium treated arsenic a precocious privilege for suspected crab based connected circumstantial objective symptoms outlined successful nan Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN).

These referrals are nan highest privilege for waiting lists, and patients should ideally beryllium seen by a master wrong 2 weeks.

After a diagnosis, location is simply a 62-day target for curen to start.

Between April to June 2025, astir 840 patients (67%) waited longer than 62 days to commencement curen for crab pursuing an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.

A female successful nan Southern Trust area who has shape 4 bosom crab said each nan "faffing astir betwixt various wellness trusts and hospitals" delayed her diagnosis.

In her early 40s, she said she is an "emotional wreck" aft being told different outcomes betwixt different wellness trusts.

"My attraction has been inadequate, not joined up and impersonal," she said.

In June, nan female first felt what she described arsenic for illustration a "pull" nether her armpit.

It was 2 weeks earlier she could get an assignment pinch her GP who connected introspection felt a "pea-sized" lump and red-flagged her successful early July.

With a history of bosom crab successful nan family, nan female had received 2 erstwhile yearly mammograms some of which had been clear.

After she was red-flagged, location was disorder arsenic she received connection betwixt Craigavon Area Hospital and past was referred to nan Ulster Hospital, successful a different wellness trust.

The mother of 3 considered seeking backstage curen successful Northern Ireland aliases nan Republic of Ireland.

The pea-sized lump had sewage larger, and her bosom was reddish and swollen.

Almost 10 weeks aft that first GP appointment, she was diagnosed pinch shape 4 crab successful August and began chemotherapy astatine nan extremity of October.

"It's been horrific and my family and I are affectional wrecks," she said.

Her acquisition prompted her to constitute to nan wellness minister.

Naser Turabi, from Cancer Research UK, said Northern Ireland's crab waiting times are nan worst successful nan UK.

Too galore patients are waiting excessively agelong for treatment, peculiarly for cancers for illustration lung, gynaecological and humor that tin often beryllium rather aggressive, Mr Turabi told BBC News NI.

"It's a matter of diligent information and endurance pinch astir 70% of patients missing nan target each month, that represents thousands of group whose curen is being delayed and they are perchance coming to harm."

Research shows that getting curen quickly is important pinch each four-week hold reducing diligent endurance by an mean of 10%.

In August, BBC News NI reported that immoderate patients who person been red-flagged for bosom crab assessments are waiting up to 10 weeks to beryllium seen.

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

In a connection nan Department of Health said: "The implementation of nan azygous location waiting database for bosom appraisal was introduced successful May to reside location inequity for group accessing bosom assessment.

"However existent halfway capacity of nan bosom appraisal work is insufficient to meet ongoing demand.

"For this reason, £5m has been allocated done nan Elective Care Framework to reside this capacity shortfall."

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he recognised that "delays successful entree to bosom appraisal will heighten diligent anxiety" and welcomed that, successful caller weeks, women person waited astir 7 weeks to beryllium seen.

"While this is still excessively long, I expect that this will proceed to reduce," he added.

According to nan Department of Health, since April 2025, much than 122,600 red-flag aliases time-critical patients person been seen aliases treated, pinch plans to scope astir 226,700 by nan extremity of nan year.

"Outpatient waits complete 4 years are down 29% - that's 29,500 patients - and curen waits down 41% - that's 8,300 patients," a spokesperson said.

Earlier this year, £215m was group speech to tackle infirmary waiting lists.

But connected Tuesday nan Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, confirmed that a third of that money has since been diverted to woody pinch nan Department of Health's (DoH) monolithic deficit.

During a statement connected crab waiting times successful nan assembly, nan curate said much than £70m had been utilized to thief tackle fund difficulties.

The DoH had faced a shortage of £600m and has been reducing that fig done efficiencies.

Nesbitt told assembly members location had been immoderate improvements connected infirmary waiting lists, but acknowledged location was much still to beryllium done.