Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I, too, start by expressing my deepest condolences to the friends and families of the many women and men who have tragically lost their lives since we met here last Thursday. On that point, I wish to talk to the Minister about cancer services. The HSE told us yesterday that GP referrals to the rapid access clinics for patients with suspected cancers have fallen by more than half since Covid-19 arrived. This means that many people with cancers will have those cancers missed, at least in the short term, and we know that matters greatly. The HSE has said far fewer people are going to their GPs with their suspected concerns and that some people may not be aware that full GP services are open. We all know that other people are simply afraid to go out still and are very cautious about catching this awful virus. A UK study published in recent days, which I am sure the Minister is aware of, shows that the UK has had an even bigger fall in access from GPs to their rapid access clinics. Worryingly, the study also predicts that England alone could see a 20% increase in cancer deaths just in the next 12 months because of this lower number of referrals.

If that were to happen here, and please God it will not, we would be looking at approximately 2,000 more deaths from cancer in the next 12 months alone. In short, if we do not fix this and get referral rates back up, we could end up with a situation where more additional people will have died from cancer than from Covid-19.

On top of that, the screening services have been suspended, as the Minister knows, for reasons we all understand. Oncologists are also saying that many of the services they use, including diagnostics and operating theatres, while available, are taking longer to access than they normally would.

Is it not now time to reopen the screening services and get the diagnostics and identification going again? Would the Minister agree that it is time for us to launch a major, national public education campaign with the same level of focus and professionalism as has been done for Covid-19 to encourage people to go to their GPs if they have concerns about their health? What can be done to address the serious blockages that are still in the system for oncologists as they try to get their patients diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible?

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