“It is simply not possible to provide optimal care or patient outcomes in these conditions” – leading cancer clinicians warn

An alarming open letter from twenty of the country’s leading cancer doctors and researchers, should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to Government, the Irish Cancer Society said today.

In an open letter to the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, who was the Minister for Health when the current National Cancer Strategy was published in 2017, leading clinicians have warned of cancer surgery delays and staffing shortages nationwide.

The stark letter sets out a series of targets that have not been met due to the National Cancer Strategy only receiving dedicated funding in two out of seven Budgets since its launch in 2017.

The letter states:

“Screening has not been expanded as planned.

Target waiting times for cancer tests are not being met.

Cancer surgeries are frequently delayed due to shortages in staffing, beds, and theatre space.

Investment in infrastructure has been lacking, despite increasing infection control issues and rising cancer incidence.

Radiotherapy services are operating significantly below capacity.

We are falling far short of the already modest target of 6% of cancer patients participating in clinical trials.

Ireland is also one of the slowest countries in Western Europe to make new medicines available to public patients.”

The clinicians point out that in the most recent year for which data is available (2019), Ireland had the third highest cancer mortality in Western Europe.

The clinicians state that “Given the impact of COVID-19 on Ireland’s cancer services and the Government’s failure to provide any new recurrent development funding for the National Cancer Strategy in 2023 or 2024, we have no reason to believe the situation has improved.

Rather, given the pressure our services are currently under, Ireland’s cancer outcomes are at risk of going backwards.”

They continue, “People with cancer in Ireland deserve the best possible chance of surviving the disease and enjoying a good quality of life afterwards. This will only be achieved through properly resourced cancer services, with protected pathways that are not disrupted by other pressures on the health service.

We urge you to reverse the decision to provide no new recurrent funding to the National Cancer Control Programme in 2024 and to commit to sufficient ringfenced multiannual funding to enable full delivery of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026.”

Welcoming the intervention, Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said:

“One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetimes.

“When we do, we deserve the best possible chance both of surviving the disease and enjoying a good quality of life afterwards, The Irish Cancer Society has been warning for some time that Irish patients are not being given that chance due to lack of Government investment in cancer services and research.

“That has now been backed up by over 20 of the top cancer doctors and researchers in the country.

“Their stark letter lays bare the delays and disruptions to care that patients and their families face every day.

“This must serve as a wake-up call to the incoming Taoiseach and his Government.

“Without proper multi-annual funding for the National Cancer Strategy, not only are Ireland’s cancer outcomes unlikely to improve but we are at serious risk of going backwards.”