Top oncologist warns patient outcomes will 'probably'  be affected by cyberattack

Professor Seamus O'Reilly: Cyberattack caused delays in screening and hospital care. Picture: Larry Cummins

Delays continue for cancer patients following the cyberattack, a top oncologist has warned, saying patient outcomes will "probably" be affected. 

This follows a cancer patient in Mayo revealing doctors were unable to access scans she brought home from Australia following a terminal diagnosis. The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has warned that Meabh Feerick's situation is not unique.

ICS representative, Professor Seamus O'Reilly, also a medical oncologist at Cork University Hospital, said the cyberattack caused delays nationally in screening, access for GPs, and hospital care.

“Will patient outcomes be affected by this? Probably because the treatment was delayed or interrupted. There is no way around that,” he said.

In case you missed it listen to Méabh Feerick's powerful interview on @drivetimerte yesterday evening about her desperate struggles with cancer care in Ireland, and Irish Cancer Society Director of Advocacy @RachelMorrogh on current issues facing services https://t.co/HBdM5wNrCX

— Irish Cancer Society (@IrishCancerSoc) September 22, 2021

Prof. O’Reilly said the cyberattack “compounded” problems caused by the pandemic. 

“We would be very concerned about the mental health of patients — a lot of them are juggling with childcare, having children at home, home working, and financial concerns, so all of that magnifies distress,” he said. “With the cyberattack it compounded that completely. You were booked in for a scan and the scan didn’t happen.” 

Prof. O’Reilly said there was a “profound” impact for four weeks and this is only gradually unwinding across the HSE.

Catch-up programmes run by the national cancer control programme (NCCP) were impacted across endoscopy, colonoscopies, and radiology, he said. However, he praised an ongoing arrangement with the Bon Secours Radiotherapy Centre, in partnership with the UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre, describing it as “a big saving grace”. 

Staff used CDs to share information, including on patients transferred from other counties. 

He could not comment directly on Ms Feerick’s situation as she is not a CUH patient, but said in general: “A lot of the USB access to computers was stopped because that is a common way for viruses to get in. It is very unfortunate.” 

Prof. O’Reilly previously treated a patient who brought scans from Australia on a USB, and said it was “very organised”. Additionally Irish patients’ access to cancer trials was limited by the pandemic. 

“You are looking at a 40% reduction in clinical trial activity for last year and also the beginning of this year,” he said.

Prof. O’Reilly will present data on these concerns to a meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology this weekend.