Nine-week breast cancer referral wait time 'concerning'

"For a number of you, we are failing to achieve the standards we abided by", says senior health official

Manx Care admits the nine-week waiting list for women suspected of having breast cancer is a 'concerning amount of time'.

However, the health body insists it is taking the issue 'very seriously' and is implementing measures to address the situation.

'Workforce vacancies' are being blamed as the cause of the delay to the 'urgent suspected cancer referral' pathway, and the health body is considering sending patients to the UK for checks.

It's understood 121 people are affected with appointments throughout the summer and early autumn, but Manx Care hopes waiting times will have eased as additional staff are drafted in to support the assessments.

Director of Clinical Cancer Services Professor Partha Vaiude acknowledges this will be a 'worrying time' for many:

Increased waiting times are said to be predominantly due to the vacant consultant breast radiologist post.

Manx Care says it’s undertaking ‘extensive recruitment efforts’ to fill this position.