Postcode lottery in cancer care must end – Sherlock

• Postcode lottery in availability of timely cancer services jeopardising lives
• Health (Availability of General Practitioner Services) Bill introduced by Marie Sherlock last week would address the inequality in provision of GP services which is impacting on delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Women accessing care in Dublin Central are being let down, with only three in ten patients with symptoms of breast cancer being seen on time
• Ticking time bomb if we do not invest in services with twice as people being diagnosed with invasive cancers by 2045
• Critical now that the National Development Plan Review ensures significant long-term investment in cancer care infrastructure across the country to bridge the gaps in services

Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has called for urgent action from Government following a new report from the Irish Cancer Society which shows stark inequalities in access to urgent cancer appointments and diagnostics across the country. The figures, covering March 2024 to February 2025, show that only 76.3% of patients nationally were seen within the recommended time frames — far short of the 95% target. Some clinics in hospitals fell far below this, including the Mater Hospital in Dublin, where just 28.9% of patients were seen on time.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“This postcode lottery is putting lives at risk. We know that early diagnosis is essential. Yet people in some parts of the country are facing dangerous delays. Every family in Ireland has been touched by cancer in some way. Every week matters when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. Each four week wait can increase mortality by 10%. We cannot afford to wait.”

“The data is deeply alarming. In the Mater Hospital, just 3 in 10 patients with urgent breast symptoms are seen within the recommended timeframe. That is totally unacceptable. In Letterkenny, compliance dropped to as low as 5% in December. Women in my own constituency are being denied timely care — and it’s happening under the Government’s watch.

“I am also deeply concerned that just one in ten people are getting an appointment at urgent prostate rapid access clinics in Galway, and that compliance had dropped as low as 18% in St. Vincent’s Hospital in June last year. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and we know it can be very difficult to encourage men to seek out care. And yet, urgent rapid access clinics are unable to meet the urgency of care that they are set up to provide.

“This is not just about delays. It’s about lives. Early detection gives people a fighting chance. But right now, that chance depends on where you live. That is simply intolerable. Care should not depend on where you live or your socio-economic status.

“It is difficult enough to face the possibility, and even the reality, that you might have cancer without having worry about receiving timely care and treatment. We should not have a system where people have to advocate for themselves to receive the proper, timely care that should be a given.

“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. Incredibly, some public cancer centres like Galway, Waterford and Limerick don’t even have access to PET scanners.

“This is exactly why I introduced the Health (Availability of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2025 last week — to ensure that the HSE plans for local primary and GP care, taking into account the needs of the local population. The Bill would help to tackle local GP shortages and make sure people are not being delayed at the very first step of the diagnostic process.

“The National Development Plan review must deliver for cancer services. It is critical that the Government invests in new infrastructure and staff. Additionally, we need at least €20 million in new recurring funding for the National Cancer Strategy in Budget 2026. With twice as many people expected to be diagnosed with invasive cancer each year by 2045, the time to act is now.”