At the beginning of the pandemic in Australia, it was evident that there would be an impact on our healthcare system, but the extent of that impact was largely unknown. In more recent times, the impact, on the delay in diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients, due to the Covid-19 pandemic has come to light.
According to a conceptual framework released by the Australian Government for “Cancer Care in the time of Covid-19):
“An analysis… of weekly hospital data…from eight hospitals in England and Northern Ireland showed a decrease of 76% from pre-COVID-19 levels in urgent referrals from general practitioners (GP) of people with suspected cancers and a 60% reduction from pre-COVID-19 levels in chemotherapy appointments”.
Therefore, generally because of the pandemic, less cancers are diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. This has significant impacts for cancer outcomes globally and in Australia, as the stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis and treatment, can significantly impact the patient’s outcome.
There are several reasons for the delayed diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic, including:
- reduced cancer screening;
- reduced presentations to general practitioners;
- reduced face-to-face appointments with general practitioners;
- reduced referrals to specialist cancer services and treatment delays;
- operational changes to the delivery of cancer care to protect the safety of patients;
- suspension of non-urgent elective surgery.
Unfortunately, in Australia, there have been examples of people who have suffered devastating outcomes due to delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Examples of delayed diagnosis and treatment in Australia
Nine news recently reported the story of Ms Tanya Hartman who was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer at 36-years-old, after a colonoscopy had been postponed many times over a two-and-a-half-year period. The postponement was initially due to hospital renovations and subsequently due to border closures and delays to elective surgeries due to the pandemic.
Similarly, Ms Rhiannon Coombs, was also diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer at 31-years-old after she waited almost three years for a colonoscopy due to lengthy public wait times and lock downs in Melbourne.
In October last year, the National Breast Cancer Foundation warned that delays in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer would have consequences beyond the pandemic, noting that “surgical delays of 12 weeks can result in 500 more breast cancer deaths a year”. Based on data released by Cancer Australia, it was estimated that there could be between 1300 and 2600 missed or undiagnosed breast cancer cases in Australia.
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If you or someone you know, has received a delayed diagnosis of cancer, please contact our expert solicitors who can provide you with advice in a free initial consultation. Please call our office on (02) 4050 0330 or book an appointment online.
