The number of patients being treated for cancer in public hospitals has fallen significantly during the pandemic, with experts warning that delayed treatment will lead to higher mortality. New data reveals a 15% drop in cancer patients in public hospitals, with breast cancer surgeries down 38%.The National Healthcare Outcomes Conference will today hear of a 26% decrease in patients having colorectal cancer surgery and a drop of 18% in patients travelling through hospitals across all specialities.
Waiting lists for day care and in-patient care have increased by 31.7% at the same time.
I think cancer is a big concern, we know delay in treatment is associated with a higher mortality. It is really problematic, said director of the Healthcare Outcomes Research Centre at Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Jan Sorensen.
The conference, titled Sustaining Healthcare in a Covid World, will also hear there were 21% fewer patients with respiratory conditions in hospitals and 28% fewer total hip replacements were done.
We havent yet analysed the reasons, but, certainly, for the hip replacements, I do believe that is because people are cocooning, said Prof Sorensen. 
He said tough decisions must be made about spending in hospitals versus community care.
Chair of the board of the National Office of Clinical Audit, Kenneth Mealy, will discuss the need to urgently separate elective care from emergency care in hospitals to avoid these cancellations happening again.
There is a clear impact here for serious non-Covid conditions,” said Mr Mealy. “Its important that these patients are quickly identified, so they can receive the care they need.