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ONE IN FIVE people are worried they could have missed out on a diagnosis and treatment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with around 50% either cancelling medical appointments or missing scheduled appointments, new research from Pfizer shows.
Hospital-initiated cancellations were higher among older age groups with 28% of over 65s having a hospital appointment cancelled compared to 16% of 25-34-year-olds.
Meanwhile, slightly more than one-in-ten (11%) adults did not seek treatment despite feeling unwell during this period.
However, the annual Pfizer Health & Science Index reveals that people are less worried about visiting the hospital compared with last year with almost one-fifth (18%) of respondents very or quite worried and would not visit a hospital – a nine-point drop compared to 27% in 2020.
Similarly, this year’s findings show that just 16% of people are very or quite worried and would not visit their GP.
Despite this drop compared to 2020, 43% of people believe they experienced a negative health implication of the pandemic with mental health, diet and weight and a lack of exercise predominating.
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The research also shows that people are anxious about their long-term health and the prospect of developing a variety of serious illnesses in the future, with cancer the most significant concern.
Of those who state they were concerned about cancer as they age (50%), some 21% of respondents (41% of women) said they were concerned about getting breast cancer, 18% had concerns about contracting cervical cancer (35% of women) and 39% were concerned about all other forms of cancer.
The Pfizer Index shows that respondents have similar concerns about getting other diseases, with 40% concerned about heart disease; 37% worried about developing Alzheimer’s and over one-quarter of those surveyed (28%) responding that they have concerns about developing depression later in life.
“Covid-19 has presented many health system challenges which have made it more difficult for the public to access non-Covid care,” Irish Cancer Society director of advocacy and external affairs Rachel Morrogh said.
“The findings underscore the importance that if anyone is worried about missing an appointment or if they have not sought medical advice yet, to make an appointment with their GP or clinician as soon as possible.
“It’s so important for anyone who is concerned about their health generally or who feels they may have neglected a lump or a mole to reach out for a referral. When it comes to cancer, early detection and early intervention is proven to save lives. It’s vital to seek medical attention quickly if a potential symptom is identified,” Morrogh said.
Irish Heart Foundation head of advocacy Chris Macey has said the foundation is urging anyone who is worried about a missed diagnosis “to make that appointment that they have been putting off today and not wait until it’s too late”.
“In addition to phone and online consultations, people should feel confident that it is safe to visit their GP or clinician in person. This is especially important if you are experiencing symptoms or have pre-existing heart conditions,” Macey said.
This research is part of the 2021 Pfizer Health & Science Index, which is a nationally representative sample of 1,052 adults, carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes Research.
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“thriving economic entity that is the Republic of Ireland”- When you look at our economy from the outside it’s hard to disagree with this assessment. However despite the fact that our GDP continually grows at one of the fastest rates in Europe year on year I for one don’t feel any better off than I did ten years ago. Housing is more expensive, childcare is more expensive, filling my car up is more expensive, hospitals are still overcrowded, public transport is still poor I could go on. Ireland may be a richer country on paper but the majority of its citizens don’t seem to be any better off.
@Michael OKelly: the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Property speculators who produce nothing are thriving and the hard working middle class are screwed.
@Conchubhair MacLochlainn: £2 is a lot tho. same island why the difference, when you cook it down, it’s us, Irish people elect farmers and chancers to look after us like livestock. We should join Britain
@thesaltyurchin: It would be a huge disparity if it were true, a quick internet search reveals the difference is more like 30c. The amount of factuality in that fact is wee indeed.
The DUP MP, Jin Shannon Should Get his “wee facts” straight before he goes scare mongering regarding costs in Southern Ireland compared to Northern Ireland. His bench mark of cost of Big Mac is interesting. In Southern Ireland cost of Big Mac is €4.50, while in Northern Ireland ((UK) is 3.69 Stg, equates to €4.30.
A difference of 20 cent NOT Stg 2. 00.
Also, cost of entry to A&E is a once off per annum ( and will soon be removed)
Whíle there is a charge for GP visit at least there isn’t an extensive waiting time for an appointment, and in most cases you will see your own doctor, not one of a panel.
If you are in need of a joint replacement, and if you don’t have private health insurance, you will have to wait many years in UK.
Jim, according to statista.com, Venezuela is home to the world’s most affordable Big Mac: at just $1.76 per sandwich. Maybe, we should all move there? Junk food, junk politics.
The welfare rates are £80 a week in north €220 a week in south. Average wage in north is £22k whilst in south it €35k. The medical card is available to those who earn less then €350 a week so its a myth that everyone will have to pay GP fees. The recent GDP of north resident was £22k while it is €52k or roughly that in south. Also that €100 charge for hospital I think is being abolished. Whatever has to be said about cost living being higher in south the wages and welfare rates are higher to offset that.DUP just cannot handle that unification is on the cards in the future.
That’s typical of the D.U.P. always blame someone else, was the Irish Government meant to sit back and not attract Investment, if our Government did do that, Mr Girvan would then claim how great the Unionist State of N.I. was, and how much a basket case the Republic was. If Mr Girvan’s Party went back into Government they might be able to help formulate a better Fiscal Policy for N.I. Let’s not forget they were responsible for that Policy all the Years they were in Power. Finally would some Politician please invite Mr Shannon down South and him see how different things are down here, while it’s not perfect it’s strange how he quotes from the extreme all the time. I wonder does he know his former Party Leader Mr Paisley RIP and his Colleague Mr Campbell came to Donegal for their Clothes.
Well if we want a united ireland and it is voted the DUP need to make up their minds are they irish British or only British if the want to be only British best place for them is UK
I remember the song, “Irish ways and Irish laws” by Moving Hearts. I thought I’d see a United Ireland but with mass immigration to the island, that song has really lost its meaning. Romantic Ireland is dead and gone, it’s with O Leary, in the grave.
What I want to know, is if there WAS a huge referendum and a united Ireland was decided, would it take as long or longer than Brexit. I mean that’s going on for 7 years now and it’s STILL not fixed.
@alan: you mean you actually saw a basic point in those ramblings. 15 medical centers have returned their contacts in past year or so in north. Entire communities are being left without GP services at all.
Ronald McDonald, isn’t he related to that wee Fenian leader? The food of the devil. Seriously though, Jim Shannon has a point about price disparity but he might want to mention wage disparity too in order to have the full picture. As for Paul Givan, if he really believes what he says, he suffers from acute delusion.
This is an incorrect statement by MP Jim Shannon. According to McDonalds Prices UK 2023 a Big Mac is £3.69 which according to xe.com is roughly €4.22. On McDonalds Prices Ireland it is €4.33, therefore only 11 cents more expensive
Mr Shannon
Old age pension OAP( Basic)in NI is £ 185 while the OAP in the Republic is €253 (£ 220) The weekly gap is £35. You could nearly buy 10 Big Macs with that and have some change legt over.
@SquideyeMagpie: They only have McDonald’s in three countries in Africa. US journalist Thomas Friedman had a “Golden Arches theory of conflict prevention” which argued that no two countries with a McDonald’s had ever been to war, though NATO attacked Serbia shortly after he came up with it and the locals responded by thrashing a McDonald’s.
The very fact that an Ulster unionist is even making such a comment is a sign of just how much the ground has shifted since Brexit – their inability to foresee this shows their not exactly the sharpest tools in the box.
Meantime – when Storming is actually operating SF argues that the folk up north would be better off ruled from Dublin.
Meantime in the Dail the same party argues that Ireland a terrible place of poverty injustice and inequality.
Ya gotta love modern politics
@bernard berry: Sorry, but when it comes to the DUP, there is no point. And I suggest an overweight middle-aged man should have long abandoned his interest in Big Macs.
These DUP guys are clowns. Big Mac’s. My God. The latest studies show that the average household has 12% more disposable income in Ireland than the equivalent in the north. Salaries are higher here. Almost a third of people have a medical card which is in effect free healthcare and there is free GP visits for under 6’s and now anyone on an income of under €46k net with further expansion of this on the way. The average life expectancy in Ireland is 1.4 years more than in the north. That takes account of the general quality of life and healthcare. That is the real acid test. Thee are huge waiting lists on the NHS. I don’t know what we are even talking about here. NI is an economic backwater surviving on handouts from London. It is basically on the dole. The economic output in Ireland couldn’t be more contrasted. We are near the top of the league in the world never mind Europe. It’s farcical. Yes the government badly need to get their finger out on housing but everywhere has some sort of problem that needs to be fixed. The bottom line is that Ireland is a dynamic business friendly economy that is the European destination of choice for countless companies. These clowns in the DUP pushed a hard brexit in what was already an economic wasteland. Go figure how that will continue to pan out.
He is right, it is a rip off k i p the Irish republic and McDonalds are only doing what all business’ here do..offer no value for money and the Irish say ‘sure that’s grand’..Baaaa
Big Mac price comparison? How about (i) people in RoI have a life expectancy 1.5 years longer (on the same island!) (ii) people in the North are at 50% greater risk of poverty (iii) the impact of your social class on your educational attainment is 3x higher in the North.
Are we not in the middle of a cost of living crisis? We are one of the most expensive countries to live in. I must say I empathise with the unionist take on this, at least economically
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