Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
666. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an increase or perceived increase in the number of persons diagnosed with cancer since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. [54617/21]
View answerThe National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) collects, classifies, records and stores information in relation to each newly diagnosed individual cancer patient. The NCRI advises that figures for 2020-2021 have not yet been fully validated.
The total number of new cancers diagnosed in Rapid Access Clinics (RACs) to end-2020 stood at 94% (5,874) of the 2019 figure (6,269). For January-August 2021, this figure stands at 91.7% (3,838) of the corresponding period in 2019 (4,185).
The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme is continuing to closely monitor trends in numbers coming forward to diagnostic services, and the level of attendances for appointments for treatment. The total number GP e-referrals to RACs for January-August 2021 (37,680) stands at 126% of the activity for the corresponding period in 2019 (30,029). The total number of patients seen across all RACs for January-August 2021 stands at 96.7% (32,818) of the corresponding period in 2019 (33,935).
