Our response to Northern Ireland Teenage and Young Adult cancer service review

The  Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland, published by the Department of Health in Spring 2022, recognised the distinct needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, and committed to carrying out a full review of Teenage and Young Adult cancer service provision in Northern Ireland to identify how services could be improved. After launching in 2022 led by Dr Maria Cable, the review’s findings were published on 24th July 2023, and make sixteen recommendations for service improvement. 

Responding to the review, Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive of Young Lives vs Cancer said: “Young Lives vs Cancer welcomes the publication of the Department of Health’s Review of Teenage and Young Adult cancer services in Northern Ireland, which was a key commitment of Northern Ireland’s Cancer Strategy. We hope the report’s recommendations – including better capture and representation of teenage and young adult perspectives, improving pathways to psychological services, and developing a teenage and young adult service framework for NI – will be acted on to improve the experiences of all teenagers and young adults undergoing cancer treatment in Northern Ireland.

We are grateful for the review team’s recognition of the vital work of Young Lives vs Cancer’s social care team in Northern Ireland, along with the wider third sector, and we are ready and willing to work with the Department of Health and other partners across Northern Ireland to make progress on the report’s recommendations.”