MP in plea for cancer screening services
DUP MP Carla Lockhart has expressed serious concern about the effect of Covid-19 on breast cancer screening services.
She said the programme must now be stepped up to ensure that women who missed appointments when it was suspended are seen.
It is understood the DUP has raised the issue with Health Minister Robin Swann and that it will be discussed at today’s Executive meeting.
Ms Lockhart said: “One in seven women across the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and sadly around 1,000 women die from this illness every month in the UK. Like all cancers, early diagnosis and access to treatment is vital to prognosis.
“On average in Northern Ireland the breast screening programme sees 6,000 women per month, with every screening having the potential to save a life. Due to Covid, this vital ser
vice was suspended, leaving thousands of women without this service.”
She said it is vital that “screening is ramped up to ensure these women are seen and that undue delays do not affect others”.
She added that referrals from GPS to see a specialist to investigate suspected breast cancer had steeply declined during the peak of the pandemic.
“The symptoms and treatment of breast cancer, or any other cancer, should not be relegated below the symptoms and treatment of Covid-19,” she said.
“We are losing lives that could be saved. That is unacceptable and we need to see action soon to redress this imbalance.”
With a coronavirus vaccine unlikely before the winter, Ms Lockhart said we couldn’t allow “other life saving treatments to be stepped down for that period of time.
The Department of Health was asked for a comment.