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TWO OUT OF every five public patients are waiting over three months for a potentially life-saving test.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer death in Ireland but more than 4,000 people have been left waiting over three months for a colonoscopy.
The proportion of patients waiting over three months has not dropped below 40% since February 2015.
At the end of February, figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) showed that 4,184 people were waiting over three months for a colonoscopy.
Every year in Ireland about 1,600 men and 1,100 women get bowel cancer, and more than 1,000 people die from it.
Of the 2,700 bowel cancers diagnosed, around 500 are emergencies. Of these emergency diagnoses, approximately three of every five are already at an advanced stage.
Bowel cancer is often very treatable if caught early – 95% of patients diagnosed at stage one are alive five years after diagnosis, compared to 1 in 10 for those diagnosed at stage three.
The Irish Cancer Society has expressed concern at these lengthy waiting times. Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, said:
“We know that late diagnosis means worse outcomes and fewer treatment options for patients.
This problem is long past crisis point. We simply can’t accept more than 2 out of every 5 public patients waiting over 3 months for an important, and potentially life-saving test, as the new normal.
“Despite increased investment in outsourcing colonoscopies to the NTPF, which has eased capacity issues at important times, we now need more radical longer-term solutions.
“This should include ensuring capacity for diagnostic tests, like colonoscopies, is made available in the elective-only hospitals recently announced as part of the National Development Plan.”
Buggy said: “Sometimes, those waiting for a test whose previously mild symptoms become more severe, may, in such cases of acute pain, be forced to attend an emergency department.”
The Irish Cancer Society is highlighting colonoscopy waiting times as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April.
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Who?
How the heck can you have joint leaders of a party, tripe at its best and do shortsighted no wonder they are on the edge of collapse
Makes sense to me that there’s more than one party flexible enough to rotate work without worrying about inflated notions of egos and leaders. More to the point, I think it’s in our best interests to support people who have worked out how to work together – it’s pretty much the definition of politics.
@James Johnson: Róisín and Catherine clearly have a shared vision for the party and if they can lead effectively by sharing responsibilities together then I have no idea why anyone would see it as a problem.
We live in a time of fractured multi-party governments anyway so it’s essential for party leaders to be able to work together and share governance with others. The days of a single leader controlling everything are long gone.
@James Johnson: Don’t we already have Leo and MM, joint leaders of FFG
@Rochelle: the sentiment of what you say mostly makes sense but the days of single figures leading organisations are clearly not gone or in any large decline either.
@John McCann: my point exactly
@Rochelle: to be fair they won’t even make a dent in any government, I do like them but if you have no clear leader in anything it will never last
Soc Dems in government?? The crowd we have are bad enough.
It’s like tunnelling out of Joseph Fritzl’s basement only to find you’ve come out in… Fred West’s living room.
@Kárl: lol
The small party nobody really cares about that had a slightly odd set-up, still, has the same slightly odd set-up. “Quick, let’s get to press with this!!”
A third joint leader and it will be a troika.
@Garreth Byrne: They tried that before with some lad named Donnelly. Never heard of him
since…
There can be only one leader otherwise it won’t work .but two great woman
have your say