Fears colonoscopy wait lists will turn deadly

Queensland patients are being kept waiting for months for a potentially lifesaving procedure despite being told ‘urgent’ action is necessary.

Queensland patients left waiting for months for a colonoscopy following a positive result in the National Bowel Cancer Screening home tests fear the deadly disease could spread while they languish on wait lists.

A Logan woman who received notification from the screening program on March 1 that there was blood in her sample and she should seek urgent medical attention has been advised by Logan Hospital that it could be 120 days before her colonoscopy. Her GP told her that the wait could be even longer.

This shock news came despite notification from Queensland Health on March 2 that her procedure would be scheduled within 30 days.

“The wait is very worrying. I do the home test every two years as recommended for early detection and then I am left to wait for a dangerously long time. When I read recently there are plans to bring down the screening age from 50 to 45 it made me very concerned as it seems the health system can’t cope with the current workload,” the 70-year-old woman said.

“I got even more scared when the bowel screening program people sent me a reminder on March 7 that it was important that I followed up medically. This is a great free national screening program but what a shame that it is let down with the follow up.”

Bowel Cancer Australia advocates for a colonoscopy within 30 days from first healthcare presentation for people experiencing symptoms suggestive of bowel cancer or a positive screen. If wait times exceed 120 days, a prognosis can worsen if cancer is present.

The Logan woman is just one of the 40 per cent of eligible Australians who complete the tests that are sent in the mail.

Queensland Health said that the possible extension of the National Bowel Cancer Screening program to include people aged 45-74 is being managed by the Cancer Council and it is a proposal not a policy.

Logan Hospital’s acting executive director Kieran Kinsella told The Courier-Mail that patients are triaged for procedures according to clinical need.

“Some patients with more complex health conditions require additional clinical input prior to having their colonoscopy. This can mean the patient may need to attend additional appointments prior to confirmation of their procedure date,” she said.

“There is growing demand for colonoscopy services which is being experienced nationwide due to a number of factors including the growing and ageing population, increased screening rates and the Covid-19 pandemic. We are working hard to see patients as quickly as possible.”