Doctors are ‘working with one hand tied behind our backs’ at hospitals around the country as the HSE responds to Friday’s cyberattack.

The Government has said the best brains in the business are working to rebuild HSE systems following the attack, which is causing massive problems in the health sector.

On his way into Cabinet this morning, the Taoiseach said it is shocking that people’s lives have been disrupted so much by the hackers – but insisted no ransom will be paid.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Dr Fergal Hickey, Consultant in emergency medicine at Sligo University Hospital said the situation is very challenging.

“There will be delays in people receiving the treatment they need but also, we will be doing it blind,” he said. “In other words, we won’t necessarily have access to their previous information.

“We won’t be able to see previous X-rays or previous scans. We may not be able to access their hospital chart. We may be lucky and we may be able to get it but we may not and therefore we are doing this with one hand tied behind our back and partly blind – so that is the challenge.”

Cancer patients

Also on the show, 47-year-old mother-of-two Carole Troy said her biggest fear now is that the attack will lead to her cancer returning.

She said she was diagnosed with Stage Three breast cancer shortly before the pandemic hit last year and, once her chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy was complete, she was placed on a drug called Kadcyla to prevent the cancer returning.

In March however, her Kadcyla treatment was paused while doctors assessed whether it was causing an issue for her heart.

Fear

She was due to get an echo on her heart today to see whether she could resume the drug treatment; however, all appointments are now cancelled and she does not know when she can come back in.

“Every cancer patient will tell you the most difficult part of a cancer diagnosis is post-treatment or surgery,” she said. “Post the first intensive set of treatments you undergo.

“The fear of recurrence is the biggest thing you have to deal with as a cancer patient because it never goes away.

“So, having access to this preventative drug for me has psychologically helped me say I am doing everything I can to stop this cancer returning.

“Knowing now that I haven’t had any of this drug since February and knowing now that I don’t know when I will get this scan to tell me whether I can restart it, just adds another layer to what cancer patients refer to as, ‘the fear’ – which is the fear of recurrence.

“You try and keep your best side out but it’s difficult.”

She said it is upsetting to face a situation like this after working so hard to recover.

“I have two children; they are 12 and 14,” she said.

“I have said all along that I will do whatever it takes to be here for my children because they were my first thought when I was diagnosed.

“I have done everything I can. I had to fundraise myself for this drug because I wasn’t covered on the HSE so already I have had to fight so hard to get to this point and now I am being stymied even further in getting this drug.”

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