More than 1,800 patients in the Republic have been waiting more than three months for a colonoscopy to check for bowel cancer.
According to figures obtained from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which manages public hospital waiting lists, the number of patients waiting tests has increased by more than 1,000 since March last year.
This comes despite efforts by the National Cancer Screening Service to prepare hospitals for the roll-out of bowel cancer screening.
The figures showed waiting times decreased by 48 from February to March this year. However, the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) said it was the upward trend witnessed over the last year that was of “critical concern”.
The society also said it was concerned that colonoscopy waiting times were not falling fast enough in advance of bowel cancer screening programme.
There was no reason for any patient to wait more than three months for an urgent test, it said.
The ICS’s Kathleen O’Meara said: “We believe that unless the problem of waiting lists is tackled in advance of screening that we cannot have full confidence in the ability of our hospital system to deliver screening while not impacting symptomatic services at the same time.”
The society has offered €1 million towards the rollout of a national bowel cancer screening programme.
In February 2010, the then minister for health, Mary Harney, announced a bowel cancer screening programme for the 60 to 69 age group to be rolled out by 2012.
“We think this is a good start but we will be seeking assurances from the minister for the completion of the rollout as soon as possible to include the 55 to 74 age group as a crucial step towards ensuring that more people are diagnosed earlier, treated effectively and survive this disease," the society said.