Cancer fear woman waiting three months for test

A woman who may have cancer has waited over three months just for a simple test to find out whether she has the deadly disease, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

It has emerged there is a backlog of patients who may have bowel cancer waiting for a diagnosis so they can begin treatment in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust.

The situation has become so dire that one patient who may have bowel cancer has been waiting since April for a colonoscopy — a procedure where a tiny camera is inserted into the rectum to see whether there is any cancer present.

And the trust has said it could be several months before the crisis is brought under control.
Dr Allen McCullough said he made an urgent referral of a patient — who is experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer — for further tests three months ago.


Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/cancer-fear-woman-waiting-three-months-for-test-16183231.html#ixzz23PR292wY