World Cancer Day: Charity wants urgent action to tackle 'major problem' of waiting lists

Irish Cancer Society Director of Advocacy, Rachel Morrogh, said there is a lot of pressure on cancer services following the surge in demand as a result of the pandemic.

The Irish Cancer Society has marked World Cancer Day with a call for urgent action to tackle waiting lists and ensure that cancer survival rates do not suffer as a result of delays.

The Irish Cancer Society has urged the government to take immediate action on waiting lists so that timely care is accessible to all who need it.

This year’s World Cancer Day theme of ‘closing the care gap’ is especially relevant in Ireland, the charity said, as barriers to accessing cancer care, in the form of waiting lists, have grown considerably throughout the pandemic.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner on World Cancer Day, Irish Cancer Society Director of Advocacy Rachel Morrogh said there is a lot of pressure on cancer services following the surge in demand as a result of the pandemic. She said they are concerned for current and future cancer patients.

“The reality is that there is not sufficient capacity in the health system nor are there enough healthcare professionals and that means that there’s this mismatch between supply and demand and when that occurs, waiting lists grow - and they have grown,” she said.

This has a negative impact on patients who are feeling “frustrated” and “powerless” and the charity has noticed an increase in anxiety among patients from within its own support line.

“When you compare the number of people who sought support to our nurses, that increased by a third when you compare September 2021 to September 2019,” she said.

There are definitely major problems out there and we really need to see action.

Patients consistently identify the psychological impact of cancer as being one of the “most enduring challenges of a cancer diagnosis”, Ms Morrogh said.

This is being compounded by the "very real fears" about getting timely access to tests, treatments and follow-up appointments. After two years of Covid-19 and cancer sharing the demand for hospital resources and building waiting lists, Ms Morrogh said that it is important that action is taken “at the earliest opportunity”.

She noted the importance of looking after those who are already in the system and ensuring that they can access the services they need while also looking after the healthcare professionals who are caring for them.

The risk is that if we don’t take the action now, then cancer survival will be impacted in a negative way.

“We just can’t accept that, and we urge all members of the government and every elected representative to do what they can to make sure that action is taken," she said.

The Irish Cancer Society wants to see an expansion on capacity within the cancer service and a recruitment and retention strategy in place for the cancer workforce.

"We need to take immediate action on waiting lists and to make sure that people aren't waiting longer than they should be."

Ms Morrogh said a diagnosis at the earliest opportunity is of utmost importance and means that a cancer patient has a much better chance of surviving cancer while also having a positive psychological impact.

“When treatment is delayed after diagnosis, that can have an impact on the treatment options that are available to them and their long-term quality of life," she added.