Debate contribution: Cancer: Diagnostic Tests: Waiting Times
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 29 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Cancer: Diagnostic Tests: Waiting Times
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5644787
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The current waiting time is, I believe, just over five weeks, which is down from 12. That is cold comfort, given that the target is 14 days, but I will point out two issues to the Member. The first was the unacceptable variation between trusts. The Western Trust and the Southern Trust were the best and the worst. If you were living in the Southern Trust area, you might have had a wait that was three months longer than that of your best friend who was living in the Western Trust area, despite only living half a mile from them. In getting rid of the variation and having a consistent service with a single booking system, progress has been achieved. The second objective, which is to drive down the waiting time, is being achieved but is not complete yet. As I said, we started at 12 weeks. We are now at just over five weeks, and pressure continues to be applied to get down to the target time.
168 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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