More than 1,000 people throughout the country have been waiting for more than three months for a test that can diagnose bowel cancer, but just one in five has responded to an offer of a free test.
Data provided by hospitals to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which manages waiting lists for public hospitals, show there are 1,073 people waiting more than three months for a colonoscopy.
This represents an increase of 13 per cent or 122 more people since figures were published in May, the Irish Cancer Society said.
It said there had been a 25 per cent increase in the figures since December 2009, when 852 patients were waiting for the procedure.
Irish Cancer Society head of advocacy and communications Kathleen O’Meara said: “We are now even more concerned at the growth in the numbers of patients on waiting lists for colonoscopies because we know that there is space for every patient waiting to be treated immediately by referring them to the NTPF.
“We don’t know why hospitals are not using the resource that is available to them to clear their backlog. It is important that hospitals, and indeed patients themselves, are aware that the NTPF service is available.”
The fund buys capacity in private hospitals in Ireland and abroad to treat patients who are waiting longest for a range of procedures, including cataracts, hernia operations and hip and knee replacements. Patients receive the treatment free of charge.
Ms O’Meara said she understood the fund had written letters to patients currently waiting more than three months to tell them they are entitled to a free colonoscopy.
“We do not know why patients are not taking up the offers in greater numbers, but the response rate to these letters is surprisingly low, at less that 20 per cent,” she said.
The cancer charity called for the implementation of a national bowel cancer screening programme for everyone living in Ireland aged 50-74 years.
In July 2009, the Irish Cancer Society offered €1 million towards the introduction of a national bowel cancer screening programme.
At the end of February this year, Minister for Health Mary Harney announced a bowel cancer screening programme for the 60 to 69 age group to be rolled out by 2012.
“We think this is a good start but we will be seeking assurances from the Minister for the completion of the rollout as soon as possible to include the 55 to 74 age group as a crucial step towards ensuring that more people are diagnosed earlier, treated effectively and survive this disease,” Ms O’Meara said.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Ireland, after lung cancer. In 2008 there were 2,216 new cases of bowel cancer and 966 deaths from the disease.
According to the cancer society, over 50 per cent of patients in Ireland are diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 bowel cancer – the most advanced stage. Less than 5 per cent of patients with stage 4 bowel cancer survive for longer than five years.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund confirmed it is in a position to treat all of those patients who have been waiting more than three months for a colonoscopy. It urged patients to respond to their letters of offer and said a test could be arranged free of charge within weeks.
Fine Gael’s Seanad spokeswoman on health, Senator Frances Fitzgerald, said in the wake of the death of Susie Long from cancer in 2007, Ms Harney promised that patients would not wait more than one month for colonoscopy referrals.
“Since that promise, the HSE says that it has made progress in reducing the number of patients waiting for urgent referrals and this is welcome.”
But Ms Fitzgerald said the latest figures were “extremely serious”.
"Susie Long’s death proved a watershed moment in the widespread understanding of the inequitable two-tier health service. However, it regrettably did not prove a watershed moment for the bad policies of the Government and their impact on Irish patients.”
Anyone concerned about bowel cancer may also speak in confidence with a specialist cancer nurse by calling the Irish Cancer Society’s national helpline free on 1800 200 700. Patients who believe they may qualify for treatment under the NTPF may contact the fund at 1890 720820.