Delays to cancer diagnosis and treatment caused by Covid-19 could increase cancer mortality for the “next decade”, a consultant medical oncologist has warned.

Professor Seamus O’Reilly, of Cork University Hospital and the Mercy University Hospital, said the pandemic has “enormous implications” for time-dependent cancer care.

He added that the health service will struggle to cope with the backlog of patients without hiring additional oncologists and other medical specialists.

The professor made the remarks on behalf of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) during European Week Against Cancer.

“The Covid pandemic has impacted cancer services. Patients were concerned about coming into hospital. Services had to be curtailed due to social distancing and redeployment of staff,” he said.

“Our health service still has not returned to normal. This has enormous implications, and our concern as oncologists is of delayed cancer diagnosis occurring as a result.”

Even before the pandemic, cancer diagnoses were increasing at a rate of approximately 5% a year, Prof O’Reilly said, adding that Covid will further affect that number.

“Cancer care is time-dependent,” he said.

“For example, colonoscopies are the gold standard of diagnosis for bowel cancers. Pre-pandemic, urgent referrals were seen within one month. Now, as a result of disruptions to service, 60% of referrals are waiting longer than three months.”

According to the IHCA, one in five hospital consultant posts are not filled as needed, meaning patients must wait longer for diagnosis and treatment.

The organisation maintains that, until staffing levels are improved, the situation is unlikely to change.

While hundreds of new doctors graduate in Ireland every year, many opt to work abroad in places like the United States and Australia.

“Cancer care is about talent,” Prof O’Reilly said. “It is important that our public health system has the ability to recruit and retain the highest talent available. We need an environment that’s supportive.

“We also need an environment where there is demonstrable equity of treatment for all of our staff.”

Prof O’Reilly also said a patient being treated for cancer will receive treatment from a number of different medical specialists, not just an oncologist, and that poor staffing in these areas has a knock-on effect, leading to a longer treatment and recovery period.

“Cancer care isn’t just about chemotherapy; it’s additional psychological care, radiology, surgery, physiotherapy,” he added.

“Cancer care is an ecosystem, and, when one of those fields is weakened, the supporting iron wall keeping patients safe becomes less rigid, and their outcome worsens.”

In a document published last year, the HSE estimated that it will need to recruit an additional 73 consultant oncologists over the next seven to eight years to meet the demand for services.

IHCA president Professor Alan Irvine said swift Government action now could prevent the effects of Covid-19 on the system being drawn out.

“Treating cancer requires speed and efficiency. While Ireland has some of the best oncologists and doctors in the world, with the sheer number of vacant consultant posts there is only so much that they can achieve,” he said.

“Waiting lists are lengthening. Smaller teams are being burnt out. Older consultants are retiring. Meanwhile, Ireland’s population is growing and ageing, and the general incidence of cancers is increasing.

“This is a deeply concerning and deeply volatile combination, but we needn’t stumble into health service collapse.

“The solution is obvious: we simply must appoint additional consultants, and quickly. Government action now will prevent the current pandemic healthcare crisis drawing out for the rest of the decade.”

PA Media