NI breast cancer assessment services under review

A review is underway of breast cancer assessment services in Northern Ireland, the BBC understands.

It is looking at when women are referred for further tests after an initial breast cancer screening at their local health trust.

The Health and Social Care Board says staffing difficulties have meant “longer than acceptable” waiting times.

The plan is to reduce the current number of specialist breast cancer services.

Instead, so-called centres of excellence are hoped to be provided.

For instance, there is a question mark over the future of assessment services in the Southern Health Trust.

While its two mobile screening units will remain, the BBC understands that on-going staffing levels could mean that women who require further assessment may have to attend a different health trust.

It is understood three potential locations are being considered – Altnagelvin, Dundonald and Antrim Area Hospitals.

Plans to transform the local health and social care system includes less duplication of services.

‘Staffing difficulties’

While that could mean hospital buildings not closing, services inside could be dramatically transformed.

For instance a hospital might lose or gain a service.

That could mean specialist staff and patients being expected to travel elsewhere, maybe even a little further, to get the expertise required.

In a statement, the Health and Social Care Board (HSC Board) and Public Health Agency (PHA) said there have been challenges in recent years to meet waiting list targets due to “difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialist staff in a number of trusts”.

“While a number of measures have helped to improve the waiting times for those referred for breast assessment, the need for a more sustainable model of care which can provide an assessment, within target timescales, for all people with a suspicion of breast cancer is widely recognised,” it added.

It says a project board was established last year, which is expected to send a report to the Department of Health in December.

“A consultation on the recommendations is expected during early 2019,” the statement added.