NI Cancer Waiting Times: Minister Defends Progress

0:00European news, powered by AI. This is Europe News Today, I'm Cory with a story. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is catching heat for celebrating what critics call tiny steps forward in Northern Ireland's cancer waiting times. New figures from October to December show 3,902 breast cancer patients got seen after urgent referrals of 44. 6% jumped from before, but dig deeper, and only 213 of them, or 5.5%, made the 14-day target barely up from the last quarter. Waiting lists overall drop from 12 weeks to 5, thanks to extra evening and week in clinics. Opposition voices are fired up. Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister slammed it as appalling, saying patients wait over 10 weeks when early detection saves lives. SDLP's Colin McGrath called the system a real-time failure for families. Another research UK echoed that, noting 7 and 10 folks wait too long to start treatment

1:00with just 29.5% hitting them. 62-day goal, a trend dropping for 14 years. Minister Nesbitt stands by the new regional setup, promising more gains as lists shrink and assessments rise. Still, patients need real speed, not just paths on the back.