Irish Examiner view: Delays to colonoscopy tests could be a matter of life or death
Some people have been waiting over twice as long as the recommended time period for colonoscopies. To make matters worse, that delays appear to be increasing. Picture: iStock
This week, we learned that thousands of people have been waiting far too long for vital cancer testing procedures, a problem which seems to be getting worse.
Some 2,764 people have waited between 29 and 60 days for an urgent colonoscopy between January and May this year. According to the guidelines issued by the HSE, those with symptoms of bowel cancer should be seen within 28 days. That means some people have been waiting for over twice as long as the recommended time period for this vital intervention.
