A recent report by the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), as highlighted by RTÉ News, has exposed shocking variations in access to cancer testing and treatment across the country, tragically leading to avoidable deaths. These findings reveal a severe breakdown in Patient Safety standards, transforming healthcare access into a perilous "postcode lottery".
At Whelan Law, we understand that for patients facing a cancer diagnosis, time is life. The systemic delays uncovered by the ICS are not just administrative failings; they create clear grounds for medical negligence claims by increasing the risk that curable cancers progress to terminal stages.
The Critical Cost of Systemic Delay
The human cost of inefficiency is staggering. Dr. Michael McCarthy, a consultant oncologist, noted that in the West of Ireland, patients are typically waiting seven to eight weeks for their first chemotherapy session, despite the National Cancer Strategy mandating that treatment should begin within 15 working days.
As ICS Chief Executive Averil Power starkly pointed out, a person's chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at Stage 1 compared to Stage 4. This gap between the recommended timeline and the reality of a multi-week wait directly contributes to the progression of disease. Every week of delay increases the risk that cancer will grow or spread, turning what should have been a manageable diagnosis into a catastrophic outcome.
For patients who suffer worsened prognosis or death due to such an inexcusable delay, legal action often becomes the only path to secure accountability for the long-term suffering caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Our Advocacy: Demanding Accountability and Efficiency
The variations identified by the ICS are taking a real human toll. Whelan Law is committed to ensuring that the systemic failures revealed through this data are met with full accountability.
It is unacceptable that a patient’s chance of survival depends on their geographical location or the age of the machinery available. Ireland must ensure equitable, timely access to cancer care, making efficiency and robust diagnostics the unwavering standard for Patient Safety across the entire health service.