The Irish Times Poll of the Day aims to get an overview of readers’ opinions on current events.
Today’s question: Is it wrong that private patients have shorter waiting times for cancer tests?
Results: Of the 1,323 voters, 63 per cent said "yes" - it is wrong that private patients have shorter waiting times, while 37 per cent voted "no" to the above question.
Background: Paul Cullen reports today that waiting times for potentially lifesaving tests for cancer are up to 25 times longer for public patients than for those paying privately.
A new report has highlighted "striking differences" in access for public compared with private patients, with GPs reporting some public patients have to wait up to 480 days for an ultrasound.
- Public patients wait an average of 119-125 days for an MRI of the spine, musculoskeletal system or brain, while private patients are tested in under six days, the report commissioned by the Irish Cancer Society shows.
- Waiting times for public patients for abdominal or pelvic ultrasounds average between 72 and 81 days, whereas private patients are seen in five to six days.
- For CT scans of the brain, chest or abdomen, public patients wait an average of 47-55 days, compared with six days for patients paying privately. The waiting times for gastrointestinal tests such as colonoscopies averages 58-60 days in the public system, against 10 days privately.
- The only area where public patients enjoy relatively equal access to diagnostics is for chest X-rays, where they are seen within two days. Private patients are seen on a next-day basis.
The Irish Times Poll of the Day was a self-selecting survey of readers of irishtimes.com which ran from 9.30am-2.30pm