Cancer treatments delayed as Crumlin Children’s Hospital tackle flu

The hospital has changed admission dates for chemotherapy treatments because of the increased demand on available beds.

Children’s Health Ireland said it “sincerely regrets” that, on occasion, “deferment” of a planned admission occurred.

It has contacted families whose child’s admission was postponed to schedule their readmission date as soon as possible.

The Irish Cancer Society’s head of services, Donal Buggy, said the HSE needs to manage the issue better.

“Winter happens every year. The flu season happens every year. It shouldn’t be a surprise to us,” he said.

We need to ensure that we have proper structures and systems in place. Cancer doesn’t stop for winter. Cancer is a year-round thing for these children, and their treatment needs to be year-round too.

Mr Buggy said the deferment of a planned admission could have a big impact on children and families.

“Think about travelling from Donegal or Kerry up to Dublin for treatment,” he said.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said the cancellations are “one of the more troubling effects” of the Government’s failure to invest in adequate bed capacity in public acute hospitals.

The number of admitted patients awaiting a hospital bed was particularly high yesterday. Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation counted 608 admitted patients, and a spokesperson said it was one of the worst Fridays they have ever seen.

“It sets the scene for the winter,” he warned.

The worst-hit hospitals were Cork University Hospital with 57 patients waiting, while University Hospital Limerick had 55.

On a comparable Friday last year, there were 395 admitted patients waiting, according to the INMO’s Trolley Watch, putting the year-on-year increase at 54%.

The HSE only counts patients on trolleys in emergency departments and there were 439 — a 60% increase on last year, when there were 275.

Latest waiting-list data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund shows that 563,410 people were waiting for their first hospital outpatient appointment at the end of last month.

The IHCA pointed out that, compared to the same time last year, the number of people waiting to see a consultant had increased by 48,050 (9.3%).

At the end of November, 66,594 patients were waiting for an appointment for their inpatient or day-case treatment and a further 22,420 were waiting for a gastrointestinal endoscopy procedure.

IHCA president Dr Donal O’Hanlon said comparable countries like Scotland have 56% more consultants, and 70% of all patients are treated within 12 weeks.

“Here the target for an outpatient to see a consultant is four times longer, at 52 weeks,” he said.

Yet our health service cannot even meet this target.

Patient advocate Stephen McMahon said the number of people waiting for a hospital operation is bound to increase even further because emergency department overcrowding is resulting in the cancellation of planned procedures.

“These kinds of numbers don’t really hit home with people until a family member is affected,” said Mr McMahon, who is chairman and founder of the Irish Patients’ Association.