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More than 300,000 cancer screenings have been delayed due to the Covid crisis, which forced the suspension of services and reduced screening capacity.
The figures obtained reveal the true impact of the virus on the test programs, which were suspended in March but have since resumed.
Through its breast, cervical and bowel cancer screening programs, the National Screening Service (NSS), which is part of the HSE, planned to screen 433,100 people this year.
However, the suspension of services when Covid-19 struck in March meant that only a third of this annual goal was met by the end of September. BreastCheck and BowelScreen were more than 70% behind 2020 targets, while CervicalCheck was 63% behind.
NSS said the detection pause and capacity reduction, both due to Covid-19, were affecting all detection programs.
A seven-month hiatus in services left BreastCheck nearly 100,000 appointments behind target, with just over 38,000 women out of 138,000 screened in September.
A five-month hiatus in the bowel cancer screening program has meant BowelScreen is behind on nearly 68,000 screenings, with just over 27,000 screened in September out of an annual goal of 95,000. The screening program resumed in early August.
CervicalCheck, which was on hiatus for three months, has analyzed 37% of its 200,000 target for this year, but concerns remain about a low absorption rate of less than 20% since screening resumed in July.
Hiring of consultants
The numbers come as oncologist John Crown raised concerns Friday about capacity issues, “tremendous wait issues” and the need to hire more consultants.
He spoke as part of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association’s (IHCA) Care Can’t Wait campaign, which highlighted cancer screening delays, waiting lists and the need to hire 73 consulting oncologists by 2028 .
“The last thing patients need to hear is that we would like to get this scan, but we cannot do it for a month,” said Professor Crown, adding that the hospital system is “creaking at the seams.”
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