Bowel cancer: High-risk patients in Manawatū affected by halt on colonoscopies, minister told
The gastroenterology department had attempted to relieve pressure by recruiting more staff, referring patients to other regions, outsourcing and holding extra sessions on weekends.
Despite these measures, wait lists had continued to grow, leading to the 'difficult' decision to pause surveillance colonoscopies in November. Symptomatic colonoscopies and bowel screening colonoscopies, in which disease was more likely to be detected, continued.
The briefing showed that the pause affected a group of people who had been identified through the National Bowel Screening Programme as needing a surveillance colonoscopy once a year. This group of about 60 patients was deemed high-risk for developing colorectal cancer.
'Consequently, these high-risk [bowel screening] participants are among those patients awaiting a colonoscopy and are adversely impacted by the decision to pause surveillance in MidCentral,' the briefing to the minister said.
Officials said there was a 'clinical risk' in not offering a surveillance colonoscopy for people with a history of polyps or a family history of bowel cancer.
Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland was one of about 850 patients who received a letter in December to say their colonoscopy was on hold.
He said he was particularly concerned about the 60 patients identified as high-risk of developing colorectal cancer.
'I sincerely hope that no patient awaiting a surveillance colonoscopy has subsequently been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, or worse, died,' he said.
The Herald asked Health NZ whether the high-risk group had since received colonoscopies.
In a statement, MidCentral group director operations Sarah Fenwick did not directly answer questions about this group. She said surveillance colonoscopies resumed in February, including additional lists on Saturdays at least twice a month.
The gastroenterology department had also outsourced 187 colonoscopies to the private sector, with 80 getting their operation so far.
In February, Health NZ said there were two specialist vacancies at the service. These roles were still being filled.
'Priority has been given to locum gastroenterologist support, and we are actively recruiting to fill our workforce vacancies,' Fenwick said.
The briefing to the minister said other regions were also under pressure to stop surveillance colonoscopies, but MidCentral was the only region to go ahead with a pause.
Health NZ data showed that about 66% of patients in the region were waiting more than the maximum recommended time for a colonoscopy (120 days for a surveillance colonoscopy) – the highest rate in the country.
It comes as the Government plans to extend the age range for bowel cancer screening nationwide.
The screening age will be lowered from 60 years old to 58, beginning with two regions in October.
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