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RTÉ News
18 hours ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
More than 2,700 wait over recommended HSE timeframe for urgent colonoscopy
More than 2,700 people across Ireland waited longer than the recommended timeframe for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year, figures obtained by RTÉ News show. The Irish Cancer Society has said the delays are putting patients lives at risk. Urgent colonoscopes are required for patients who have symptoms such as weight loss or blood in their stool. HSE guidelines say these people should be seen within 28 days. However, figures show that 2,764 people waited between 29 and 60 days for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year. A total of 3,623 people waited over the recommended timeframe of 28 days in 2024. Consultant Gastroenterologist at St James's Hospital in Dublin Finbar MacCarthy said patients in need of an urgent procedure must be seen within the recommended timeframe. He said the number of patients who will ultimately be diagnosed with either a cancer or inflammatory bowel disease is small, but added, that "out of that group of people, there are undoubtedly patients who already have cancers or who already have another bowel disease that requires prompt diagnosis and prompt access to treatment." Dr MacCarthy said hospital capacity needs to increase in line with demand for colonoscopies. "Without an increase in capacity to meet the demand there will inevitably be increasing waiting lists for colonoscopies. "In addition, there are hospitals across the country where the endoscopy unit is significantly curtailed over the winter months in order to facilitate access through the emergency department. This is not a strategy that is tenable in the long term." The Irish Cancer Society described the figures as "extremely worrying". CEO Averil Power said: "In 2017, no one in Ireland waited more than the 28 day target for an urgent colonoscopy, yet this year if the current trend continues, over 6,500 people will. "That's a shocking deterioration in service and it's putting lives at risk. "The Irish Cancer Society is calling on Government to stop these delays now, by providing urgent investment in colonoscopy services nationwide." In a statement, the HSE said a number of initiatives have been developed to reduce waiting lists, including the expansion of capsule endoscopy services. 'So painful, I couldn't stand it' Paul Vickers from Rathcoole in Dublin was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2017. Despite signs of serious illness including constant pain, Paul waited over three months for an urgent colonoscopy. He said: "I was having symptoms and like a lot of men my age I was ignoring them, there was blood on the toilet tissue from around October 2016. "My symptoms got that bad I actually collapsed in early February 2017 in the house. I went over to Tallaght A&E and the doctor there that saw me gave me pain killers and Buscopan and told me to go to my own GP for a referral for a colonoscopy." Three months later, in May 2017, Paul finally got an appointment for an urgent colonoscopy but he says there were worrying signs in the weeks leading up to the procedure. "If I wasn't on pain killers, sitting down going to the toilet would have been so painful I couldn't actually stand it. "I would get a huge amount of wind cramps. I was working nights and that in itself was tiring, but dealing with all the stress as well was wearing me out. I actually lost quite a bit of weight during that time." Paul believes if he had been given an appointment for an urgent colonoscopy earlier, his recovery would have been much faster but he is also eager to encourage people with symptoms to go the GP as soon as possible. "In saying that, had I gone in when I got my first symptoms I may not have been diagnosed with cancer, at least not Stage 4 anyway." "It took me three years to recover from everything" Paul says by the time he got the urgent procedure, his symptoms were so bad he was treated as an emergency case. "My colon and large bowel were in such a state that they didn't let me home. They kept me in that day and two days later I got an ostomy bag in to shut my entire large bowel, digestive system down. "It was actually that bad I became an emergency then. I spent that summer on chemo and radiation therapy." Paul is now healthy and is looking forward to the future. "It took me three years to recover from everything, the radiation was quite severe, I was on a lot of radiation five days a week for six weeks and that has left a lot of damage to my large intestine but I have to manage that."
RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
More than 2,700 wait over recommended HSE timeframe for colonoscopy
Figures obtained by RTÉ News show that over 2,700 people across Ireland waited over the recommended timeframe for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year. The Irish Cancer Society has said the delays are putting patients lives at risk. Urgent colonoscopes are required for patients who have symptoms such as weight loss or blood in their stool. HSE guidelines say these people should be seen within 28 days. However, figures obtained by RTÉ News show that 2,764 people waited between 29 and 60 days for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year. A total of 3,623 people waited over the recommended timeframe of 28 days in 2024. Consultant Gastroenterologist at St James's Hospital in Dublin Finbar MacCarthy said patients in need of an urgent procedure must be seen within the recommended timeframe. "This is a concern, as I said the number of patients who will ultimately be diagnosed with either a cancer or inflammatory bowel disease is small. "But out of that group of people, there are undoubtedly patients who already have cancers or who already have another bowel disease that requires prompt diagnosis and prompt access to treatment." Mr MacCarthy said hospital capacity needs to increase in line with demand for colonoscopies. "Without an increase in capacity to meet the demand there will inevitably be increasing waiting lists for colonoscopies. "In addition, there are hospitals across the country where the endoscopy unit is significantly curtailed over the winter months in order to facilitate access through the emergency department. This is not a strategy that is tenable in the long term." The Irish Cancer Society has described the figures as "extremely worrying". Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said: "In 2017, no one in Ireland waited more than the 28 day target for an urgent colonoscopy, yet this year if the current trend continues, over 6,500 people will. "That's a shocking deterioration in service and it's putting lives at risk. "The Irish Cancer Society is calling on Government to stop these delays now, by providing urgent investment in colonoscopy services nationwide." In a statement the HSE said a number of initiatives have been developed to reduce waiting lists, including the expansion of capsule endoscopy services. Paul Vickers from Rathcoole in Dublin was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2017. Despite signs of serious illness including constant pain, Paul waited over three months for an urgent colonoscopy. He said: "I was having symptoms and like a lot of men my age I was ignoring them, there was blood on the toilet tissue from around October 2016. "My symptoms got that bad I actually collapsed in early February 2017 in the house. I went over to Tallaght A&E and the doctor there that saw me gave me pain killers and Buscopan and told me to go to my own GP for a referral for a colonoscopy." Three months later, in May 2017, Paul finally got an appointment for an urgent colonoscopy but he says there were worrying signs in the weeks leading up to the procedure. "If I wasn't on pain killers, sitting down going to the toilet would have been so painful I couldn't actually stand it. "I would get a huge amount of wind cramps. I was working nights and that in itself was tiring, but dealing with all the stress as well was wearing me out. I actually lost quite a bit of weight during that time." Paul believes if he had been given an appointment for an urgent colonoscopy earlier, his recovery would have been much faster but he is also eager to encourage people with symptoms to go the GP as soon as possible. "In saying that, had I gone in when I got my first symptoms I may not have been diagnosed with cancer, at least not Stage 4 anyway." "It took me three years to recover from everything" Paul said by the time he got the urgent procedure, his symptoms were so bad he was treated as an emergency case. "My colon and large bowel were in such a state that they didn't let me home. They kept me in that day and two days later I got an ostomy bag in to shut my entire large bowel, digestive system down. "It was actually that bad I became an emergency then. I spent that summer on chemo and radiation therapy." Paul is now healthy and is looking forward to the future. "It took me three years to recover from everything, the radiation was quite severe, I was on a lot of radiation five days a week for six weeks and that has left a lot of damage to my large intestine but I have to manage that."
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Breaking Man sentenced to death over killing of Seán Rooney
A man has been sentenced to death in Lebanon after he was convicted for his part in the killing of Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney, who was shot dead while serving in the region in December 2022. The main defendant in the case, Mohammad Ayyad, was sentenced to death for his part in the killing, RTÉ News understands. Sources said that the accused was not understood to have been present in the court when the sentence was announced. Lebanon has maintained a moratorium on the death penalty since 2004 and has carried out no executions since then. The death sentence is thus expected to be commuted to a prison term in the future, the source added. Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed the conviction of the main defendant in the case. In a statement, Mr Harris said he has been informed of the completion of hearings held by a military tribunal in Beirut. He said he welcomed the conviction of the main defendant and a number of other defendants, who had not previously been in court. "While noting the sentence handed down to the main defendant, I am disappointed and share the disappointment of Private Rooney's family at the lighter sentences imposed on a number of those convicted today," Mr Harris said. Pte Rooney and several colleagues were just a short distance from the main highway into Beirut when their vehicle was fired on near the southern Lebanese village of Al-Aqbiya on 14 December 2022. The 24-year-old, from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed while driving an armoured jeep. The Tánaiste said Pte Rooney made the "ultimate sacrifice in the noble pursuit of peace". "This is a difficult time for his family and his colleagues, especially those who were injured that night. "All our thoughts are with them at this time." Mr Harris said he appreciated efforts of the Lebanese court to bring forward the hearing date forward from September to today. "Finally, I appreciate that this is an incredibly difficult day for the family of Private Rooney. "None of us can fathom their unimaginable pain and grief and all my thoughts remain with them at this time," the Tánaiste concluded.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Committee urges Govt to include services in OTB
A cross-party Oireachtas foreign affairs committee report on the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) "strongly recommends" services as well as goods should be included in any Government legislation. RTÉ News understands the committee agreed to make the key recommendation in a private meeting at Leinster House today, which is likely to continue until Friday afternoon. The committee has been tasked in recent weeks with drawing up a pre-legislative scrutiny report on the long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill, which will include a series of non-binding recommendations that will subsequently be considered by Government. The question of whether the bill should be limited to goods from what it describes as the Occupied Territories or be extended to services as well has been a key subject of debate in recent weeks due to the potential economic impact such a move could cause. However, in a recommendation which will be included in the committee's report and was agreed by all parties, the committee has said: "The committee strongly recommends progressing the bill and the prohibition of imports from the Palestinian Occupied Territories should be extended to include trade in services, in line with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and the resolution which Ireland co-sponsored at the United Nations general assembly." The move is likely to place further pressure on Government to include services as well as goods in the Occupied Territories Bill, despite international warnings from the US administration last week over the potential economic consequences were Ireland to do so. In a statement to RTÉ News, Labour TD Duncan Smith said: "This is a welcome outcome from the committee and one I didn't think would happen when our work began as I feared Government members wouldn't support opposition calls to include services. "The fact we have this agreed recommendation with no dissent is a testament to the compelling evidence given by multiple witnesses as to why services must be included with goods. They cannot be separated. "The sends a strong message to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that he needs to expand the scope of this bill to include services. which is not only the wishes of this committee but, we believe, the popular wishes of the Irish people." Sinn Féin TD Donnacha Ó Laoghaire also said: "Including services is an important statement by the foreign affairs committee. The situation in Gaza is disgraceful and we need ot move decisively and quickly." The committee meeting is continuing this afternoon, with more than 60 other amendments not related to this key recommendation also being considered. On RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin again confirmed the Occupied Territories Bill is likely to go before the Dáil and Seanad in early autumn.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Watch: Restaurants creating 'plates for Palestine'
More than 130 restaurants around Ireland are creating Palestinian-inspired dishes to raise money for Palestinian aid. 'One Plate for Palestine' sees restaurants and other establishments add a dish to their menus this week, with all proceeds from the sale of those dishes going to two Irish-Palestinian charities - Gaza Go Bragh and TEA Collective. The initiative was started by Cork-based chefs Beverly Matthews and Barbara Nealon as they said they "felt frustrated and helpless" and wanted to bring the hospitality industry together to make a difference. "We thought maybe 20 restaurants would sign up, but now we have more than 130," Ms Matthews told RTÉ News. "The response has been absolutely amazing." One Plate for Palestine runs until 27 July.
