Dr. Denis McCauley:

To respond to the question about bullet points for the Department for the next six months, in the context of the patient journey from developing symptoms to cancer being diagnosed through screening and then treatment, the important message for the HSE is that we in general practice have found that people are presenting later. There is still a fear of going to see the GP. General practice is open and we advise people that if they have symptoms, they should not delay but see their doctor. That is one roadblock that is easily overcome by simple messaging.

The major roadblock relates to a worried patient or a patient who has had something seen on a screening test actually having the test. According to the figures, the delay in diagnosis is the major primary issue. There are many bumps on the road but the diagnostic aspect is vital. The waiting lists for endoscopy have increased such that the number of patients not being seen within the defined period of appropriate time has increased from 15 per month before the Covid crisis to 450 per month, a factor of 30. People who should be getting urgent assessment, therefore, are not getting urgent assessment. I would concentrate on that. All politics is local. The endoscopy list in Letterkenny is one of the longest in the country, even though we have one of the smallest populations.

It is about the messaging to encourage people to see their GP, as well the roadblock in cancer diagnosis. If I were to go down one road, I would address those issues first.