Northern Ireland

Health service could face cancer backlog of 'Herculean proportions'

Figures reveal more than 36,000 cancer surgeries have been cancelled or postponed across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis
Figures reveal more than 36,000 cancer surgeries have been cancelled or postponed across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis Figures reveal more than 36,000 cancer surgeries have been cancelled or postponed across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis

THE health service in Northern Ireland could face cancer cases of "Herculean proportions", a leading medic has warned.

Mark Taylor of the Royal College of Surgeons has called for cancer services to resume as quickly as possible in a bid to tackle waiting lists that have soared during the coronavirus pandemic.

He also said health officials need to rapidly increase cancer diagnostic capability.

Figures revealed by the BBC show that the number of colorectal referrals in Northern Ireland was down 70% in April 2020 compared to 2019, while gynaecology referrals have fallen by half.

More than 36,000 cancer surgeries have been cancelled or postponed across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis.

This is partly due to staff and facilities being re-directed to deal with coronavirus.

Mr Taylor said there are fears many cancers have yet to be diagnosed.

He said the innovation seen in the health service over the past three months should now be used to tackle cancer rates.

"In any cancer, and particularly in those cancers that progress very quickly, time is of the essence," he told the BBC.

"Clearly whilst the system has responded to Covid, we now must radically turn our attention as a system to perform timely diagnosis and treatment of those patients with cancer.

"We're about to see a situation of Herculean proportions coming our way."

The Department of Health said that "significant work is under way to release and redeploy some capacity to enable the resumption of urgent surgery and treatment".

It also said there would be "a huge logistical and funding challenge", with coronavirus expected to "be with us for some time".