Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I share Deputy Tóibín's concern, as do the team running the national cancer control programme, NCCP, the Department and the HSE. The Department and the national cancer control programme are systematically studying the impact of Covid-19 on cancer services through data monitoring and monthly review meetings. I am sure I would be able to get the Deputy a detailed note on that if he wishes. During the first wave, from March to May 2020, in line with international experience and as the Deputy has quite rightly pointed out, there was a significant drop in the number of people presenting with cancer concerns. From the outset of the pandemic, great focus has been placed by the cancer services on providing safe patient pathways and encouraging people to come forward. That is very important. The HSE deserves great credit for maintaining urgent cancer services throughout the pandemic.

By the time of the second and subsequent waves, the degree of resilience built up in the cancer services through staff commitment, revised treatment guidelines, social distancing and infection prevention and control measures instilled confidence in people that they could come forward and access diagnostics and treatment. Services were much less impacted, which is very good news.

As indicated, we are continuing to closely monitor trends in the number of people coming forward to the diagnostic services and the level of attendance for appointments for treatment. The most recent figures are as follow. The total number of GP e-referrals to rapid access clinics for January to October of this year stands at 127% of the number for the corresponding period in 2019. I have been discussing this with the NCCP. The figure is higher for this year than for last year. I hope that some of that relates to people we would have loved to come forward last year. The total number of patients seen across all rapid access clinics for January to September 2021 stands at 99% of the number for the corresponding period in 2019. I am out of time but I will give the Deputy the rest of the figures as we go.

See this speech in context