2 April 2026
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said the latest cancer waiting time statistics expose a system that is “failing patients in real time".
He was speaking following claims of progress from the Health Minister.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“The Minister may point to marginal improvements, but this does not mask the lived reality for patients and their families. Only 29.5% of people are starting treatment within the 62-day target, a figure that should alarm everyone. That figure has consistently fallen over the last 14 years, and has gone unchecked by successive Health Ministers.
“Last year, £80 million was allocated under Programme for Government targets to build capacity. The Minister then claimed he only needed £6.5 million to meet those targets, with the remaining £73.5 million used to offset the department’s deficit. That tells its own story about how ambitious we are. This Executive must face their collective failure to deliver the necessary health transformation that results in patients facing long waits for care.
“The Health Minister is quick to praise progress, but I am deeply sceptical that the public has noticed any meaningful change. Patients certainly haven’t. The question is simple, when will the Minister and his Executive colleagues wake up to the scale of this crisis and act with the urgency it demands?”