Cyberattack set cancer services 'back months, not weeks'

Averil Power, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society said patients presenting at more advanced stages for certain types of cancer. Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins

A national campaign alerting people to cancer signs and encouraging a return to hospitals is urgently needed, the Oireachtas health committee heard today.

One-in-six people delay going for treatment due to fear of Covid-19, according to data from the Irish Cancer Society, while doctors' unions have warned the impact of the cyberattack on the HSE has “set us back months, not weeks”.

Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said: “In our latest research which was conducted in May, one-in-six people reported that they are still choosing not to attend a GP with health concerns.

“The cancer workforce is already seeing the results of people presenting later, with patients presenting at more advanced stages for certain types of cancer.” 

Ms Power said people must be made aware that the earlier they seek treatment, the better.

Pre-cancers

“We do not yet know how many pre-cancers and cancers will have gone undetected,” she said.

“However, we do know that Breastcheck was 70% behind its 2020 target of completed screenings, BowelScreen was 60% behind target and CervicalCheck was 44% behind target.” 

The committee also heard from Irish Medical Organisation consultant committee chair Dr Clive Kilgallen that patients cancel hospital appointments because of the virus. He said a national campaign is urgently needed to help people identify cancer symptoms.

“We (need to) urgently invest in a national public health messaging campaign to encourage individuals to visit their GP at the first sign of symptoms and to attend for hospital appointments,” he said.

And he warned of a “growing backlog of patients waiting for urgent time critical-diagnostics services”.

Referring to surgery for removal of tissue or organs, he said: “Data gathered by the faculty of pathology, in the March to June 2020 period, shows that there were 668 or 12.5% less cancer resections performed.” 

He said numbers waiting more than three months for a GI endoscopy have doubled to 23,800 since before the pandemic.

The committee also heard there are 200,000 people on waiting lists for diagnostics, including scans, from the Irish Hospitals Consultants Association (IHCA).

Dr Gabrielle Colleran, vice-present IHCA said there is a “structural mismatch” between the growing demand from patients and capacity of the services.

Half a team

Responding to queries from Sinn Féin spokesman on health David Cullinane around staffing, she said “we field half a team every day” and said this delays patient access.

She said investment in equipment is needed. The MRI scanner at Temple Street children’s hospital is 22-years-old but ideally should be replaced every decade, she said.

Looking at solutions, Professor Rob Landers from the IHCA and a pathologist at University Hospital Waterford told Fine Gael TD Colm Burke the Slaintecare plan for elective care is insufficient.

He said all hospitals should have dedicated elective care areas instead of expecting patients to travel to proposed new hospitals in Cork, Galway, and Dublin.

He said the cyberattack will impact cancer services for “eight, 10, 15 years” and it is too early to assess yet.

Challenging

Ms Power told Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall gathering information on achievements in the national cancer strategy is challenging.

She said: “Last year was the first time the government put investment” into the strategy. She is aware of progress in treating many cancers but further support is needed.

“Thirty years ago, three-out-of-10 patients survived cancer, today six-out-of-10 do,” she said.

And Dr Denis McCauley, chair of the GP committee IMO said improved access to diagnostics, including MRIs, for GPs during the pandemic has helped patients.

Referring to this as a “short-term" solution, he called for its retention.