Huge backlog of lung cases due to virus
A LEADING consultant has warned of a huge backlog of untreated respiratory diseases as our health service grapples with Covid-19 cases.
Sweeping closures of services were introduced in March while other respiratory supports were dramatically scaled back to allow hospitals to cope with the surge in coronavirus patients.
Dr Aidan O’Brien, a respiratory physician and president of the Irish Thoracic Society, has said the legacy of suspending diagnostic and treatment services will be felt for years to come.
‘The number of people waiting to see a respiratory consultant has jumped to more than 21,000 – an increase of 7% compared to figures at the start of the pandemic.’
Ireland’s death rate from respiratory diseases is the fourth highest in the EU and 38% higher than the EU average.
‘The statistics are bad and the prevalence of lung disease in Ireland is really high,’ Dr O’Brien said. ‘Ireland has the second highest incidence of lung cancer in Europe and we have the seventh highest mortality from lung cancer and that incudes countries that are far less resourced than we are. They’re not good statistics.’
Dr O’Brien also said that dedicated respiratory units are needed to help deal with the backlog.
‘The resources that were in place are now reduced to deal with Covid, which means you have fewer people in clinics, all spaced out with delays between each procedure,’ he added.
He said that patients are not visiting GPs as in the past. ‘The cancers we are presently diagnosing compared to last year are more advanced, so people are presenting later and potentially missing out on vital therapy.’