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Six One News: Fergal Bowers, Health Correspondent, reports that the Health Minister said lengthy waits for initial cancer diagnosis are unacceptable
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One News: Fergal Bowers, Health Correspondent, reports that Mary Harney says lengthy waits for initial cancer diagnosis are unacceptable
Minister for Health Mary Harney says it is unacceptable that patients should have to wait long periods for an initial diagnosis of cancer.
She was responding to new figures at the weekend which show that some patients have to wait up to 18 months for a colonoscopy examination, a key test for bowel cancer.
The Minister said the new consultant contracts along with an increase in the number of consultants would improve waiting times and ensure equality of access for public patients.
Ms Harney was speaking at a function to mark the 100,000 patient treated under the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The fund set up five years ago organises private treatment for public patients waiting longer than three months for an operation.
