Search
01 Nov 2025
Search
01 Nov 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Six cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Louth
Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to specifically collect and collate data in relation to the number of missed or delayed diagnoses as a result of Covid 19 Restrictions.
In a recent Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Health, Deputy McGrath asked if a record is being kept or will be kept of the number of cancer and other serious illnesses picked up following the resumption of colonoscopies considering the long waiting times for such screening services.
In a response to Deputy McGrath the HSE confirmed that the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) do not collect the particular data requested.
“Given the fact that we have over 36,800 people currently waiting for colonoscopies in public hospitals and many others waiting for similar screening procedures, it is unfortunately very likely that many cancer and other serious diagnoses will have been missed or delayed, many which will lead to a very unfortunate loss of live which could have been avoided if detected in a timely manner.” Said Deputy McGrath
UK and other international models have predicted severe impacts on cancer mortality through delays in diagnosis and treatment related to the COVID-19 pandemic with similar impacts expected in Ireland.
While our whole focus has been on Covid 19 we seem to have lost focus on deaths caused by all other illnesses, many of which could have been avoided if screening services had been allowed to continue. I believe that it is imperative that we collate this data so that we can understand the full scope of the effect of these restrictions not just on wider society but on actual lives lost.” Continued McGrath
“I am therefore calling on the Minister for Health to instruct the HSE and the National Cancer Control Programme to collect this Data on the numbers of Diagnoses made following long waits for colonoscopies and other screening procedures so that the true impact of these restrictions will be known.” Concluded McGrath
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
