Our manifesto sets out the measures and commitments the next Northern Ireland Executive must make to help prevent around 5,900 cancer deaths between now and 2040.
Read the manifestoThanks to advances in how we prevent, detect, diagnose and treat the disease, cancer death rates have fallen by 18% in Northern Ireland since the mid-1970s.
Nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime. More than a quarter of deaths in Northern Ireland are from the disease.
Alongside the devastating human cost of cancer, around 10,000 productive years of life were lost to cancer in Northern Ireland in 2023 alone.
Northern Ireland will see more cancer cases as the population grows and ages. By 2038–2040 the number of new cases in Northern Ireland is projected to increase by 25% from 2025–2027. That’s around 14,900 new cases diagnosed each year.
There are also stark inequalities in who gets and dies from cancer. Cancer death rates are around 45% higher for people living in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. This is unacceptable.
We’re in a golden age for cancer research. New tools and technology mean we can do things in hours that used to take years, putting us on the brink of making huge leaps in how we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Investing in cancer research, prevention, earlier diagnosis and treatment will:
save and improve lives
benefit the health system (HSB)
improve productivity
strengthen the economy
We’ve succeeded before and we can succeed again. With political will and leadership, we can all have more moments with the people we love.
The Northern Ireland Executive should make a national commitment to reduce the cancer death rate by 15% by 2040, which would prevent around 5,900 cancer deaths.
Our manifesto sets out the immediate measures and long-term commitments needed to achieve this ambition and make sure people in Northern Ireland live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
Far too many people in Northern Ireland face unacceptably long waits for cancer tests and treatments. Waiting times to start cancer treatment have worsened steadily over the last 16 years and are the worst in the UK.
But with the right action, this can change. Through an urgent stabilisation and recovery plan which includes effective use of data and support for GPs and clinicians, we can help everyone receive the care they need, when they need it.
We envisage a future where every person in Northern Ireland, no matter where they live, has fast, equitable access to the very best in cancer prevention, earlier diagnosis and kinder, better treatments.
The 2022–2032 Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland offers a strong foundation, but there has been little progress in implementing it because of critical service pressures and a lack of funding. As we approach the midpoint of this 10-year strategy, there’s a real opportunity for the next Northern Ireland Executive to take concerted action to improve cancer outcomes for everybody.
In 2023, around 1 in 3 new cancer cases in Northern Ireland were caused by preventable risk factors – that’s around 3,500 people diagnosed with cancer.
More cancers can and should be prevented in Northern Ireland This can be done through government tackling the biggest risk factors for the disease, including tobacco, overweight and obesity, alcohol and HPV infection.
Supporting life sciences research means cutting-edge innovations in cancer prevention, earlier diagnosis and kinder, better treatment can get to people quicker. Northern Ireland has significant and distinctive strengths that could help it thrive as a cancer research environment, including its unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the EU.
But to fully unlock this potential, action needs to be taken to attract and retain more researchers, set up clinical trials quicker and create a health data ecosystem that’s fit for purpose.
Public Affairs Manager (Northern Ireland)
Cancer Research UK, Lifetime risk of cancer. Available here.
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