Thousands of patients in South East waiting months for cancer tests results due to major backlog

Thousands of patients are been forced to wait months for cancer test results because of a major laboratory backlog in the southeast.

The Irish Examiner reports bosses at Waterford University Hospital have issued an emergency alert to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly because “demand is exceeding capacity”.

Senior medical sources have warned that up to 2,000 patients from St Luke’s Hospital and thousands more from South Tipperary General Hospital and Waterford University Hospital are being forced to wait “up to six months in some cases” for their results.

The South/South West Hospital Group has insisted the delay is affecting “routine” cases and all urgent cases continue to be processed.