The China Mail - Delays in Cancer Radiotherapy and Surgery Target Times

New Health Service Executive (HSE) data indicates that approximately one-in-five cancer patients did not begin radiotherapy within recommended timeframes during the first six months of 2026. The figures show a rise in delays, with 19.3% of patients missing the target in the first quarter and 21.1% in the second quarter. In total, 732 patients experienced delayed care compared to 658 during the same period in 2025.

The issue was particularly acute at the St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network, where only 64.2% of patients received treatment within target in the first quarter and 65.1% in the second. Approximately 604 treatment episodes at the facility fell outside the recommended timeframe over the six-month period.

Delays were also recorded for surgical interventions. Under HSE guidelines, lung cancer patients requiring surgery as their primary treatment should be offered an appointment within 25 working days. In the first quarter of 2026, only 56.4% of such patients met this target, a decline from 59.6% in the same period of 2025.

For prostate cancer patients where surgery is the first line of treatment, guidelines stipulate that no more than 30 working days should pass between being placed on the waiting list and the procedure date. In 2025, only 38.4% of patients nationally received surgery within this window. Performance varied by location, with Galway recording 18.3%, the Mater Hospital 30.8%, St Vincent’s University Hospital 37%, and Cork University Hospital 42.9%. No data for 2026 is currently available for these surgical targets.

Regarding systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT), including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, 85% of patients began treatment within the 15-working-day target in the first quarter of 2026, rising to 88% in the second quarter. Both figures remain below the 90% target. While Connolly General Hospital and Cavan General Hospital met the target for all their SACT patients, other facilities lagged. Cork University Hospital saw 62% compliance in Q1 and 64% in Q2, while Mayo University Hospital improved from 49% in Q1 to 83% in Q2. Waterford University Hospital recorded 63% in Q1 and 78% in Q2.

The data was released in response to a parliamentary question posed by Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane. Cullinane stated that while some services have improved, too many patients continue to wait beyond recommended times. He called for the government to hire additional staff, address bottlenecks, and provide multi-annual funding to build capacity in diagnostics, treatment, and surgery. He added that hospitals persistently missing targets should implement clear recovery plans detailing the necessary staffing and resources.

L.Johnson--ThChM