To ask the Minister of Health to detail any investment his Department is making in community-based cancer care services, to support early diagnosis and reduce the need for patients in rural areas to travel long distances for treatment.

My department has provided investment of £10.7 million through the Cancer Charities Support Fund to support cancer charities in providing a wide range of support services. Projects cover all areas in the cancer pathway, from pre-diagnosis through to palliative and end of life care. These are key initiatives towards the implementation of the Cancer Strategy, and important in working towards my Department’s aim of building cancer service capacity in communities.

Trust cancer treatment services are enhancing patient care by increasing virtual appointments, switching to oral treatments and extending medicines administration intervals, where clinically appropriate. This will reduce the frequency of hospital visits and need to travel. A number of Trusts also have a Systemic Anti-Cancer Medicines (SACT: chemotherapy and immunotherapy) home delivery service. A policy is also being developed in 2025 for patient self-administration of some SACT treatments.

Regional initiatives like Elective Day Procedure Centres and Rapid Diagnosis Centres aim to speed up diagnostics. Some patients may need to travel further, but they will be informed about available travel support, such as help with travel and parking costs, and volunteer driver services.

The ‘Health and Social Care NI: A three-year plan: to stabilise reform and deliver’, aims to address health inequalities and aims to bring care ‘closer to home’ where feasible. For cancer patients, this includes development of ambulatory care services, or phlebotomy hubs as outlined in the NI Cancer Strategy. However, these developments will be dependent on cancer strategy funding

The new Integrated Care System is forming Area Integrated Partnerships bringing together Health and Social Care, the voluntary and community sector, local Government and service users and carers. These partnerships will focus on prevention, early intervention and community health and well-being. Rollout has commenced and is expected to complete in 2025.