Women waiting six months for scan to diagnosis breast cancer, says senator
She called for action on 'systemic failures' revealed in a report by the Irish Cancer Society which identified gaps in care around the country as some patients with breast, lung or prostate cancer face far longer waits than others depending on where they live.
They found that tests at rapid access clinics that would have been performed on the first appointment date are increasingly spread over a longer period. Ms Costello was successfully treated for breast cancer over a decade ago aged just 36.
However she said the stories she hears now are worrying. 'I presented and I got a mammogram, a biopsy and an ultrasound that day, but fast forward to now and I'm speaking to girls who are waiting and waiting,' Ms Costello said.
She added: 'When they get to the clinic, they are being seen by a nurse and told 'we'll send you for a scan and get back to with an appointment'.
Some of the girls have been waiting six months for that appointment.
She pointed out early diagnosis is crucial in all cancers, especially for younger women not captured in the national screening programme. That starts at 50.
'Now breast cancer in younger women is actually more aggressive, so I just don't understand the delays,' she said. 'I don't know why these appointments can't be scheduled together. I think it's a systematic failure and I've raised this before.'
Responding to the report by the Irish Cancer Society, the Labour Party called for urgent action from the Government.
'The Irish Cancer Society has clearly outlined the causes of these delays: a shortage of cancer professionals, a lack of cover for staff on leave, and equipment that is years beyond its usable life,' health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said.
'Incredibly, some public cancer centres like Galway, Waterford and Limerick don't even have access to PET scanners.'
The HSE pointed to improvements in care despite the obstacles, saying: 'Today, over 220,000 people in Ireland are living with or after cancer, which is a 50% increase compared to a decade ago.'
However they also said: 'To sustain this progress, consistency and assurance around future funding would be helpful. This would enable forward planning, capacity-building and strategic implementation of the National Cancer Strategy.'
Read More
Call for publicly funded medication for breast cancer survivors who cannot take HRT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Labour Party calls for sun cream dispensers to be installed in all OPW parks
The idea follows a pilot initiative run by Cork county councillors in June where units containing sun protection factor (SPF) cream were placed around Marina Park, Fitzgerald Park and Meelick Park for use by the public. SPF functions to protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun which can lead to skin cancer. The motivation for the initiative stems for what Labour senator Laura Harmon sees as a 'common-sense measure' in preventing a rise in the disease. 'We cannot ignore the public health challenge this presents,' Senator Harmon said. "Making SPF sun cream free and easily accessible in public spaces like our OPW parks is a simple, preventative measure that could save lives.' On average, 11,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, but current trends indicate that this figure is likely to increase to 30,000 per year by 2040, according to the Irish Cancer Society. Ms Harmon is adamant that the initiative can be successful nationwide, claiming that the public response to its trial run in Cork was 'overwhelmingly positive'. 'SPF is not cheap, and that can be a barrier for many. By providing it in public parks, we remove that barrier and encourage people to protect themselves when outdoors. "We know that prevention is better than cure - we must make SPF available to everyone, regardless of income. 'In the same way that we have defibrillators in public places, or hand sanitiser stations during the pandemic, sunscreen dispensers should be part of our standard public health infrastructure.' She added: 'I am calling on the Minister for the Office of Public Works to immediately engage with local authorities to roll out SPF stations in every OPW park. "We have the model, we know it works, and we know it will save lives. Let's get it done.'
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Health staff recruitment crisis underlined by HSE's inability to hire temporary agency workers
Our hard-pressed health service is not short of challenges, with new issues materialising on a regular basis. Now a whole new problem in staffing has emerged. As revealed here this week by Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin, worker shortages are now so acute that the HSE has warned that it is sometimes unable to fill vacancies even with agency staff, because agencies are themselves struggling to recruit health workers. A familiar problem is contributing to these shortages — agencies are reporting that while there are general shortages of workers on a global scale, one specific issue in Ireland is the shortage of accommodation. The housing crisis has affected almost every part of Irish life, and now it appears that a general lack of accommodation for health workers is having a direct impact on the supply line of staff. This impact can be clearly seen in the numbers involved. As reported here, in 2021, disability services spent €40m on agency staff, but last year that figure reached €77.9m, and by May this year, €37.2m had already been spent. Similar increases can be seen in other areas of the health service — the mental health division spent €71.5m on temporary workers four years ago, and in 2024, that figure was €106.3m. The net result is that some of the most vulnerable people in our society are being cared for by agency staff, which is far from ideal. The British Medical Journal, for instance, reported some years ago on the link between heavy use of agency staff and worse experiences for patients and staff alike. The Government must address this issue by revisiting its recruitment strategy, one which has been much criticised by health unions. It must also rein in expenditure in this area, described accurately by an opposition TD as 'runaway agency spending'. This is particularly necessary in the context of the unfinished Children's Hospital and its associated costs. Irish passports in demand in the US A surge in the number of US applicants for Irish passports earlier this year was linked to the return of Donald Trump to the White House. This yielded a new entry for the dictionary — Trumpugees — as well as a couple of celebrity applicants such as Rosie O'Donnell. Mayor TD Paul Lawless caused a stir when he called for a 'hierarchy' of passport processing, with Irish residents given preference over American citizens. Those new applicants benefited from improved efficiency in the Passport Office's operation, which has reduced the turnaround time for most adult online renewal applications to two working days. This is a standard of service which other State organisations and bodies would do well to emulate. However, Aontú TD Paul Lawless has called for a 'hierarchy' of passport processing, telling this newspaper: 'I'm aware of some cases where American citizens are applying for passports because they just want to frame it, or to be able to say that they have an Irish passport. These individuals should be put to the bottom of the waiting list, especially at times where Irish families are struggling to get passports. This is a delicate point: Passports cannot be issued on the proviso that they are used in a certain way or at particular times. It is difficult to see how the holder of an Irish passport in America could be compelled to use it, or whether such conditions could be attached to its issuance. However, we are right to focus on any action, or inaction, which might have the potential to lower the standing of our passport, which has an international currency many nations envy. An Irish passport is an expression of our specific sovereignty, which is important, but it also identifies the bearer as a citizen of a country which is independent in its outlook, non-colonial in its international relations, and supportive of those in need. Many of those seeking Irish passports want to be seen as sharing those values, which makes it all the more important to protect our passport's reputation. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Taylor Swift album ...Ready for it? Music fans all over Ireland are counting down the hours to the Oasis concerts this weekend, pulling old parkas and bucket hats from the wardrobe, and preparing themselves for the warm glow of nostalgia which will start when the Manchester band recreate the '90s in Croke Park. It seems like only yesterday we were dealing with the angst of Ticketmaster interactions and soaring hotel prices for an entirely different musical act — when Taylor Swift sold out the Aviva Stadium last summer. Taylor Swift on stage during her three sold-out dates at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on the Eras Tour in June of last year. Liam McBurney/PA The US star shifted approximately 150,000 tickets for those three concerts in Dublin as part of her Eras Tour, which ran for almost two full years and generated approximately $1bn (€856.7m) in revenue. Yesterday, we learned that Swift is to release a new album. The news came following some mysterious online hints which her fans quickly seized upon, and frenzied speculation hardened into confirmation when the singer announced the news in one of the most 21st-century publicity strategies imaginable — she displayed a blurred copy of the album cover in a social media clip promoting her boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast, New Heights. The new release will be Swift's 12th studio album and is entitled The Life of a Showgirl, and eagerly-anticipated is an understatement. Last year, her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, broke the Spotify record for being the most-streamed album in a day. The new album may challenge for that title. Further details will emerge tomorrow, and expect speculation about a new tour to begin at the same time. Hotel room prices are sure to spike accordingly.
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Extra.ie
Woman's plea to ban sunbeds after skin cancer diagnosis returned
A woman who has twice been diagnosed with skin cancer has urged people to protect their skin and not to use sunbeds. Gill Costelloe has told how she nearly died and had to spend three months in hospital, even though her skin cancer had been detected early. The 45-year-old, from Ballybrack, south Co. Dublin, has spoken out through the Irish Cancer Society as calls build for Ireland to follow Australia's example and to ban the use of sunbeds. The scar left on Gill Costelloe's back after having surgery. The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment to explore a ban on commercial sunbed use, with public consultation underway and a cross-departmental working group established. The Institute of Public Health last month highlighted the significant public health risks associated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds, which are classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission. Ms Costelloe is one of 11,500 people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland every year, making it the country's most common cancer. The National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland to double by 2040. Gill Costelloe urges people to protect their skin. Ms Costelloe was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 after a friend noticed a mole on her back and advised her to get it checked out. It was a stage one melanoma, which was removed. Five years later, doctors discovered that she had a recurrence of melanoma that had spread. She said: 'I used sunbeds and spent years sunbathing to get a tan to look healthy, but, ironically, I'm far from healthy now. I was an avid cyclist and never once considered the damage I was doing to my body, being out on the bike for hours on end with no sunscreen.' Ms Costelloe recently got her first clear scan but is still living with the side effects of having skin cancer and going through treatment. She said she wanted to share her story to highlight the importance of getting moles and skin changes checked. 'People think that skin cancer isn't serious,' she added. 'Melanoma, even when it's surgically removed from the skin, can come back and spread to other parts of your body.'
