Delay in full return of cancer services ‘deeply worrying’

It is “deeply worrying” that cancer services will not be fully restored before the end of this year, the chief executive of the Marie Keating Foundation has said.

The coronavirus pandemic has already had a “hugely negative” impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and further delays to restoring a full service will result in poorer outcomes for patients, chief executive Liz Yeates said.

The Health Service Executive’s three-phase plan warns that commitments to resume non-Covid services are “conditional on there being no further major surges and full implementation of the vaccination programme”. Ms Yeates said this “level of uncertainty” regarding the resumption of services could undermine the public’s confidence in coming forward when they notice changes in their bodies.

The Marie Keating Foundation is looking for clarity on the details of the HSE’s plan so it can “better understand and help communicate it” to the patients it supports.

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Screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancers is expected to increase to 90 per cent capacity in June and to 100 per cent from October, according to the plan. Early detection and early intervention can have a “significant impact” on a cancer patient’s outcome, Ms Yeates warned.

“It is crucial that, even in these stressful and trying circumstances, the HSE and the Minister of Health recognise that investment and resources are needed to keep our cancer services running safely during the ongoing pandemic,” she added.

A director of the Irish Cancer Society, meanwhile, said the organisation is “very concerned” that there will not be a full resumption of cancer services before the end of the year.

Director of advocacy for the charity, Rachel Morrogh, said delays to diagnosis and treatment can lead to reduced survival rates for patients.

Prior to the pandemic, capacity across the cancer system was “insufficient”, and waiting lists acted as a barrier to timely care, she said.

“The Irish Cancer Society does not want to return to these ‘normal’ levels,” she said. It is “essential” that capacity is expanded and more healthcare workers are recruited so cancer services no longer have to compete for the same resources.

“We are particularly concerned that delays for radiology, endoscopy and surgical services, as well as other vital cancer services, will continue for a considerable period of time,” Ms Morrogh added.

The news of the long period of delay will worry cancer patients who have already faced huge additional challenges over the past 12 months, she said.

The return of healthcare services is projected to take place in three phases: March to June; July to September; and October to December. While the plan says cancer services should be restored by the end of 2021, this is “assuming no significant disruption due to planned delivery, public health restrictions removed or eased, and no adverse winter months impact on acute hospitals”.