‘I felt helpless’: Mum’s 102-day wait as minister says cancer delays are ‘not acceptable’
Claire Little before treatment for cancer
Thursday 01 October 2026
Around seven in ten cancer patients in Northern Ireland waited longer than the 62-day treatment target following an urgent GP referral, with Health Minister Robbie Butler acknowledging that the overall position is “not acceptable”.
Cancer Research UK says around 1,000 patients — 71.6% of those covered by the measure — waited beyond the target during April to June 2026, with every health trust missing the required standard.
Behind those figures are people such as Newry mother-of-two Claire Little, who waited 102 days to begin treatment after visiting her GP about a breast lump. She received her initial cancer diagnosis at Antrim Area Hospital during an anxious wait that stretched over Christmas.
All trusts miss treatment standard
The Department of Health target requires at least 95% of patients urgently referred by their GP with suspected cancer to start treatment within 62 days. The period includes the investigations needed to establish a diagnosis, rather than beginning only once cancer has been confirmed.
Cancer Research UK’s analysis of the figures published on Thursday puts performance at just 28.4% within that timeframe. The charity says the target has never been met since its introduction in 2008.
There has been some improvement in waiting times: the midpoint wait fell to 88 days, compared with 97 days in September 2025. One in twenty patients waited longer than 233 days, down from 257 days in that comparison.
However, the charity estimates that around 20,000 people could miss the 62-day target over the next five years if performance remains at its current level. That is a conditional projection, rather than a count of people currently waiting.
Cancer waiting times in numbers
Just 28.4% of patients began their first cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral during April to June 2026, according to Cancer Research UK’s analysis. The required standard is 95% — leaving performance 66.6 percentage points below target.
The remaining 71.6%, around 1,000 patients, waited longer than 62 days. That means more than seven in every ten patients covered by this measure missed the treatment deadline.
Every health trust missed the target during the quarter. Cancer Research UK says Northern Ireland has never achieved the standard since it was introduced in 2008.
Waiting times improve but remain above target
The median wait — the midpoint, with half of patients waiting longer and half waiting less — was 88 days, compared with 97 days in September 2025. That is a reduction of nine days, although the midpoint remained 26 days beyond the 62-day standard.
There was also improvement at the longest end of the waiting-time range. One in twenty patients waited longer than 233 days, compared with 257 days in September 2025 — a reduction of 24 days in that threshold.
The distinction matters: 233 days was not the longest recorded wait. It was the point beyond which the longest-waiting 5% of patients were still waiting to begin treatment.
Breast cancer figures show a separate improvement
Health Minister Robbie Butler highlighted a fall in the median breast cancer wait from 56 days in September 2025 to 38 days in June 2026 — a reduction of 18 days, or around 32%.
The minister’s statement did not specify the start and end points used for that measure, so it cannot safely be treated as a direct comparison with the overall urgent-referral-to-treatment figures.
He also identified £5 million invested through the Elective Care Framework, alongside additional clinic capacity and a regional network intended to improve access to breast services.
What the five-year estimate means
Cancer Research UK estimates that around 20,000 people could wait beyond the 62-day target over the next five years if current performance continues. This is a projection of future missed targets, not the number of people currently on a waiting list.
The figures therefore show both progress and a substantial unresolved gap: some waits have shortened, but most patients covered by the urgent GP referral measure are still not starting treatment within the required timeframe. Sustained improvement would mean those shorter waits translating into many more patients receiving timely care.
An anxious wait over Christmas
Claire Little
Claire Little, 49, visited her GP on 7 November 2025 after finding a lump in her right breast and was urgently referred for tests. She was told she had breast cancer at an appointment at Antrim Area Hospital on 30 December.
On 23 January, biopsy results confirmed stage three HER2-positive breast cancer. This type has higher levels of a protein called HER2, which can cause cancer cells to grow more quickly.
According to the account supplied by Cancer Research UK, scans showed the tumour measured 3cm on 30 December and 5cm by 23 January. Claire began chemotherapy at Craigavon Area Hospital on 17 February, 102 days after her GP visit.
The impact of waiting
Claire Little in hospital during treatment for cancer
Claire said:
“I was shocked because I had thought at the start that being red flagged by my GP meant it was serious and that I would be treated quicker because of that. Waiting nearly four months for treatment to get underway was agonising. The lump seemed to be getting larger and it was difficult to concentrate on anything else.
“I felt helpless, like everything was out of my control. I would be walking around the supermarket pushing a trolley around like life was normal and then it would hit me again that I had breast cancer. It was a frightening time.”
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said:
“Far too many people across Northern Ireland are still waiting too long for the cancer tests, treatment and care they need. These unacceptable delays are incredibly difficult for patients and their families. Despite the hard work of Health and Social Care staff, services are struggling to keep pace with demand.”
Minister acknowledges unacceptable waits
Responding to the latest figures, Health Minister Robbie Butler said:
“Behind every figure is a person waiting for answers and a family living with uncertainty. A suspected cancer diagnosis can be frightening, and I understand how distressing it is when people then face a long wait for assessment or treatment.
“Today’s figures show the scale of the challenge before us. Whilst there has been great progress made on tackling elective waiting times and innovations in cancer treatments are constantly improving, the overall waiting times position for cancer is not acceptable.”
Mr Butler pointed to a fall in the median breast cancer wait from 56 days in September 2025 to 38 days in June 2026. His statement did not specify the start and end points of that measure, so it should not be read as directly comparable with the overall 62-day referral-to-treatment figures.
He said £5 million had been invested through the Elective Care Framework, alongside the establishment of a regional Breast Operational Delivery Network and the use of additional clinic capacity to address the backlog.
Leadership and investment in cancer care
The minister said:
“There is no doubt that there is still much more to do. As a new Minister, I want to explore what opportunity exists to do more and drive further improvement more rapidly. This work needs consistent leadership and relentless focus. Today’s cancer waiting times underline the importance of political stability, and why we must all remain steadfast on tackling the challenges facing our health service. Patients and staff need that sustained commitment to improve cancer care.”
Mr Butler said the Elective Care Framework remained the roadmap for tackling cancer waits, with Programme for Government funding directed towards cancer diagnosis and treatment. This includes endoscopy, imaging, staffing, blood-taking services and work across multiple specialties.
“In addition to this targeted investment, we are actively understanding, managing and improving whole cancer pathways through structured review, shared learning and strengthened accountability,” he added.
Calls for a cancer recovery plan
In its manifesto launched at Stormont last month, Cancer Research UK called for the next Northern Ireland Executive to deliver an urgent stabilisation and recovery plan to tackle cancer waiting lists and reduce the harm caused by delays.
It wants Department of Health and health trust leaders to agree shared recovery goals, with realistic milestones that allow the public to see whether waits are falling.
The charity also wants information from the Encompass patient record system used to identify where delays occur, alongside targeted staffing and equipment where patients face the longest waits.
Its proposals include more administrative support to free clinical staff to care for patients, and ensuring GPs have up-to-date guidance on cancer symptoms so referrals for tests or specialist care can happen swiftly.
Political parties urged to set out commitments
Ms Mitchell called on parties to make cancer a priority ahead of next May’s Assembly election.
She said:
“Cancer affects us all in every community, every constituency and every walk of life. As Northern Ireland looks ahead to the next Assembly election in May, it’s vital that every party makes tackling cancer waiting times, diagnosing cancer earlier and improving access to treatment a priority. Each party should set out clearly how it will improve cancer outcomes and be prepared to be judged on these results.”
Claire, who works as an administrator in a care home, is also urging parties to put cancer at the heart of their election pledges. Her father John died from bowel cancer, and her mother Vera also died from cancer.
“I’d like to do all I can to help make things better for people in Northern Ireland facing cancer now and in the future,” she said.
A life beyond the diagnosis
Claire with daughter Ava, and son Cameron
Supported by her children Ava, 22, and Cameron, 19, Claire danced before every chemotherapy treatment and shared parts of her experience on TikTok, including losing her hair. She named her tumour “Terry”, and it was successfully removed during surgery on 16 July.
She is now receiving a course of 14 HER2-targeted treatments known as Kadcyla to reduce the risk of the cancer returning, and is due to begin 15 radiotherapy sessions on Monday 5 October.
For Claire, treatment continues, alongside her determination to keep living beyond the diagnosis.
She said:
“Cancer may have knocked me down but I’ll get back up again as many times as I need to. I can’t change my diagnosis but I do have control over how I react to it. There may be cancer in my life but I’ve still got a life to live.”
