News that the Belfast trust is failing to see many suspected breast cancer patients within the fortnight target is yet another sign of a health service struggling to cope in a key area.
As former health minister Michael McGimpsey pointed out yesterday, targets are set for cancer treatment because there is medical evidence that proves the longer a patient has to wait `the greater risk they may ultimately come to harm.'
In other words, early detection, diagnosis and treatment offers patients the best chance of a positive outcome.
Given what we know about cancer awareness and the importance of seeing a GP at the earliest opportunity, it is alarming to discover that in the first two weeks of January just 9 per cent of cases requiring urgent consultant assessments were seen on time.
These patients may include women who find a lump and are referred to hospital by their family doctor for tests such as a mammogram or fine needle biopsy within 14 days.
Certainly, if a GP judges that these patients are urgent cases, it is unacceptable for them to wait longer than they should for vital information.
The fact that the Belfast trust is managing to see fewer than one in ten patients within the target time has to be viewed as a matter of grave concern.
The trust pointed out there had been a sharp increase in referrals following October's breast cancer awareness month.
``This high level of referrals, coupled with a recurrent capacity shortfall led to a drop in performance that continued into the first two weeks of January 2016,'' said a spokeswoman.
It is hardly a surprise that an awareness campaign would lead to more people coming forward so it is worrying that the trust was not better prepared to handle this increase.
On a more positive note, the trust says that performance has improved in the second half of January with 57 per cent of urgent and `red flag' patients being seen with 14 days.
This is certainly a move in the right direction but still too many women are waiting longer than the set target following referral by their GP.
Any delay can only add to the anxiety and stress being experienced by a patient and her family.
The Health and Social Care Board has allocated funding for an additional weekly one-stop clinic which hopefully will help alleviate what has been a recurring problem in our health service.
Hopefully, the 9 per cent figure represents a low point and from now on all trusts will meet the target on urgent cancer referrals.
