'Postcode lottery' for Mayo cancer patients contributing to avoidable deaths
Cancer patients in Mayo are facing dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment, contributing to avoidable deaths, the Irish Cancer Society has warned.
New data released by the organisation revealed serious shortcomings in cancer services at University Hospital Galway, with urgent calls for increased investment in staff, buildings and equipment.
Dr. Michael McCarthy, president of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology and Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Galway, described the situation in the west of Ireland as a ‘postcode lottery’ where lives are being endangered by delays.
“Working in the west of Ireland, I see the human cost of the postcode lottery in Irish cancer care every day. Once chemotherapy is prescribed, the National Cancer Strategy states that it should start within 15 working days," he said.
"The reality is that patients are now typically waiting seven to eight weeks for their first session. With every week that passes, the risk increases that their cancer will grow or, worse, that it will spread to other parts of their body."
The situation is particularly severe for prostate cancer patients in the county.
Just one in ten (12.7%) of men referred to the Urgent Prostate Rapid Access Clinic were seen within the recommended 20 working days.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Irish men, and early detection is vital; when diagnosed at stage one, survival rates are nearly 100 per cent, while only half survive if diagnosed at Stage Four.
The figures show that in medical and haemato-oncology, Galway University Hospital achieved only 73 per cent compliance with the target of starting treatment within 15 working days. This places it in the lowest-performing group nationally, alongside Portiuncula and Sligo hospitals.
In radiation oncology, Galway University Hospital met the target of starting radiotherapy within 15 days for 79.8 per cent of patients, falling short of the 90 per cent target. Compliance fluctuated during the year, ranging from 72.3 per cent to 88.7 per cent.
Urgent lung cancer referrals also fell short. While the national target is 95 per cent of patients seen within 10 working days, Galway achieved 87.4 per cent, with a low of 75.4 per cent at its worst point.
According to the Irish Cancer Society's figures, Galway's compliance rate is amongst the worst recorded, surpassed only by Limerick University Hospital with its recorded rate of 82.8 per cent, with a low of 60.5 per cent.
Lung cancer remains Ireland’s leading cause of cancer death each year, underscoring the importance of timely assessment and treatment.
Urgent symptomatic breast disease clinics in Galway performed relatively better, achieving 96 per cent compliance with the target of seeing patients within 10 working days across the year. However, February saw a sharp decline to 45.7 per cent, highlighting service instability and risk.
Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said the data highlights alarming failures in meeting the outlined treatment targets.
“Early treatment dramatically reduces your risk of dying from cancer. A person’s chances of surviving cancer are up to four times higher when treated at stage 1 than at stage 4. That’s why the National Cancer Strategy set target waiting times for cancer tests and treatment.
"These figures highlight alarming failures to meet those targets in many cancer centres, due to shortages of staff, physical space and equipment.
"They also reveal a shocking postcode lottery in Irish cancer care, with where you live determining how quickly you can access lifesaving tests and treatment.
“Research published in the British Medical Journal has found that every four-week delay in starting cancer treatment can increase mortality by 10 per cent. So, there is no question that these delays are causing avoidable deaths.
"Ireland already has the third-highest rate of cancer mortality in Western Europe.
"With the number of people getting cancer set to double by 2045, things will only get worse if the government doesn’t significantly increase investment in cancer staff, equipment and buildings in Budget 2026,” she said.
With delays in treatment attributed to a number of key areas, including staff, space or equipment to cope, patient visits to the day ward in the hospital have nearly doubled over the past decade, going from 13,000 in 2016 to 25,000 in 2024.
Due to UHG lacking a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner, according to the Irish Cancer Society pre-budget statement, patient scans at UHG are ‘being outsourced privately at a higher cost’.
"The report also references the hospital's outdated and unreliable equipment, including its 17-year-old CT scanner, as also being a key factor in delays.
Outside of equipment and manpower, the society flags UHG's parking costs as posing an obstacle to patients receiving treatment for cancer and are calling for Budget 2026 to ‘provide funding to abolish car parking charges for cancer patients nationwide’.
Backing Ms. Power's calls for Budget 2026 to prioritise cancer treatment, Dr. McCarthy said: “Our doctors, nurses, hospital pharmacists and others have done everything they can to minimise waiting times.
"However, we simply don’t have enough staff, space or equipment to cope, and patients are paying the price.
"Many of my colleagues in other hospitals across the country face similar challenges. That’s why the Irish Society of Medical Oncology is backing the Irish Cancer Society’s call for more investment in cancer services in Budget 2026.”
The society’s pre-budget submission is backed by the Irish Society of Radiation Oncology, the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy, and the Irish Association for Nurses in Oncology.
The Irish Cancer Society is urging the government to prioritise cancer services in Budget 2026, including €20 million in new recurrent development funding to implement the National Cancer Strategy effectively and save lives.