Less than half of cancer patients in Sligo start their chemotherapy treatment within national target timeframe

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Serious concerns regarding delays in chemotherapy treatment at Sligo University Hospital have been raised by Cllr Edel McSharry following the latest data presented at the Regional Health Forum.

The figures were supplied by the HSE at the Regional Health Forum in reply to Cllr McSharry’s query, regarding whether or not crucial chemotherapy treatment is being started, within the national target, set by the National Cancer Control Programme, that over 90% of patients should begin chemotherapy within 15 working days.

Responding to the figures Cllr McSharry remarked, “Performance at Sligo has declined significantly,” as she noted 74% of patients commenced treatment within target in 2024 which fell sharply to 46% in the latter half of 2025 and dropped further to 43% in January 2026.

Cllr McSharry continued, “This represents a drop of over 30 percentage points in a short period and means the service is now operating at roughly half of the national target.

“This level of delay is deeply concerning. Behind every percentage is a patient and a family waiting for critical, time-sensitive cancer treatment,” said Cllr McSharry.

The reply to Cllr McSharry’s question, issued by John Fitzmaurice, Integrated Health Area Manager, Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal, West Cavan stated, “The service remains fully committed to improving performance and restoring compliance with national KPIs. However, achieving the 90% target will require addressing the current physical and staffing constraints that limit the ability to meet increasing demand.”

Hospital management have confirmed that the issue is not related to staff performance but to capacity constraints. The Oncology Day Unit, which dates back to 2002, has seen demand increase by over 300% without corresponding expansion.

At the same time, developments in cancer care are improving outcomes with Cllr McSharry commenting, “Patients are living longer; new and more effective drugs are available and treatments are more complex and often ongoing over longer periods.

“These advances are hugely positive,” Cllr McSharry said, “but they bring increased demand. We now have more patients needing treatment, for longer, and with more complex care needs.”

Staff in the unit are continuing to maximise existing capacity, but the service has reached its limits within the current infrastructure.

“There is only so much that can be done within an eight-chair unit that has not been significantly upgraded in over 20 years. Staff are doing everything possible, but the reality is that the physical capacity is no longer sufficient.”

Plans have been identified for an interim oncology day ward and expansion of pharmacy compounding services. However, uncertainty remains around delivery timelines.

“We need clarity and urgency. While an interim unit has been indicated as potentially deliverable within two years if funded, there are conflicting messages about when this will actually proceed. Patients cannot wait.”

Cllr McSharry confirmed she will continue to pursue the issue, stressing, “This is about ensuring that cancer services in the North West are properly resourced to meet current and future demand. The care is there, the expertise is there, but the infrastructure must now catch up.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.