A Lisnaskea woman has spoken out about the pressures facing the Health Trusts around treating cancer patients after her mother was forced to go private to find out that she had a cancerous tumour.

Anna O’Reilly had an appointment in October of last year with a colorectal specialist in South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) and following a CT scan a mass was detected in her colon with associated lymph nodes.

Anna’s daughter Monica spoke with the consultant who said they had “red flagged” Anna for a colonoscopy.

“He said the up scope, the colonoscopy, needs done as soon as possible, my waiting list is six month, go private if you can,” explained Monica.

Monica got straight on the phone with a private hospital in Belfast and her mother was examined at a number of appointments and they were told before Christmas that there was a tumour present.

“Mum was transferred to the NHS list and had her operation within three weeks, two days before operations were cancelled in Belfast, and is now awaiting chemo as a biopsy showed the cancer spread.

“It was just literally in the nick of time.”

As Covid-19 put immense pressure on hospitals in January, red flag cancer surgeries were cancelled in some Trust regions including the Western and Belfast Trusts.

Monica said her mother’s appointment letter for a colonoscopy at SWAH came out on January 14, nine days after the operation on January 5. And Monica believes they could be still waiting for the results of that.

She says the whole situation has opened her eyes to the importance of early diagnosis as her mother now has to begin chemotherapy in two weeks.

“Her tumour had spread outside the colon wall and spread to two out of 14 lymph nodes that they had removed. It emphasises the need for early detection.”

And if they had not gone private, things could have been a lot worse for Anna.

Cancer had spread

“It would have been more severe. From mum was diagnosed with her scan until her operation, I think was three or four weeks, granted Christmas was in the middle and New Year.

“It already spread to two lymph nodes. So by the time January 14 in SWAH for her first colonoscopy and then say they needed the results of that and then if they had carried out another open investigation, I mean you’d have been talking end of February or March time.”

It has also highlighted to her the pressures faced by staff at SWAH and believes decades of underfunding in the West has led to this and the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation.

“It’s a very sad reflection. Covid sort of shone the light on this. Yes, the waiting lists are delayed but it shone the light on what’s going on in the West. SWAH versus Belfast and Eastern hospitals, gaps have widened to a very dangerous level.”

Monica is full of praise for the staff working in the hospital but feels there is so much more that could be done to help them do their jobs as effectively as possible. She admits they were lucky to have the funds to go private but knows that many do not have that luxury but that should be a hindrance in getting timely care at SWAH.

“We have such a fabulous hospital setting there. In my view it’s decades of underfunding in the West. It has come to a head with Covid. It has taken Covid for me to say something but in essence it’s been there a long, long time,” added Monica.