15 November 2025
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill pictured at the official launch of CUH BowelScreen endoscopy services, on Friday, November 14, with CUH, BowelScreen and patient representatives.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has officially launched new BowelScreen endoscopy services in Cork University Hospital (CUH) today.
The unit is the 16th across Ireland delivering colonoscopy procedures to BowelScreen participants who need further tests following their free bowel cancer screening test. Nationally, BowelScreen carries out approximately 5,000 colonoscopies per year.
About BowelScreen
Bowel screening is for everyone aged 58 to 70
It aims to reduce deaths from bowel cancer in two ways – by finding small growths (known as adenomas or polyps) which are removed at colonoscopy, and by detecting bowel cancers at an early stage, where there are no symptoms
If bowel cancer is found early, it is generally easier to treat and there’s a better chance of recovery
Around 2,500 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Ireland every year and 6%* of these are detected following bowel screening
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, said: “I was delighted to meet staff, management and patients at the unit delivering BowelScreen endoscopy services in Cork University Hospital, today. My visit comes just weeks after the announcement that BowelScreen is now inviting 58-year-olds to take part in bowel screening, which means an additional 60,000 people invited for screening across the country. These are important steps as the HSE works to increase capacity to offer screening to everyone aged 55 to 74.
“Bowel screening makes an important contribution to reducing deaths from cancer and cancer diagnosis. Every colonoscopy is a chance to prevent cancer from developing through the removal of small growths, or to find a cancer while it is at an early stage.
“I’d encourage everyone aged 58 to 70 to take part in the free screening programme. It’s an effective, simple way to reduce your risk of bowel cancer.”
Acting Chief Executive Officer, Cork University Hospital, Deirdre O’Keeffe said: “Cork University Hospital has been providing histopathology, cancer surgery, and CT colonography (CTC) services for BowelScreen patients in the Cork and Kerry region since 2012. This new service means that CUH now provides the full range of BowelScreen clinical services. It’s a priority of ours under Sláintecare to offer people testing and treatment near to where they live. For many patients this development will mean continuity of care, as they will have testing, diagnosis and treatment all under one roof in CUH.”
BowelScreen Clinical Director Professor Pádraic Mac Mathuna said: “We are pleased to welcome CUH as the 16th endoscopy unit providing BowelScreen services. People from Cork and surrounding counties will now be invited to one of two locations – Cork University Hospital or Mercy University Hospital, Cork, for these vital endoscopy appointments.
“Additional endoscopy capacity such as that offered by CUH is a crucial step on the journey to eventually extend BowelScreen to include everyone aged 55 to 74.
“Our primary goal in BowelScreen is to reduce mortality from bowel cancer. We prevent cancers from developing by finding and removing small growths, called adenomas, which we often find during colonoscopies. These can turn into cancer if left untreated. Every year around 3,000 people have these growths removed because they did our BowelScreen test. These are all potential cancers prevented.”
BowelScreen participant Mike Brady, 67, from Midleton received a cancer diagnosis following a BowelScreen colonoscopy in CUH. His cancer was found at an early stage, before he had any symptoms. After surgery to remove the cancer he did not need chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Mike said: “I’ve been looked after extremely well. No matter what question I had, they were able to deal with it.
“I cannot get over how fast it went for me from the day I had from the colonoscopy on 11 July 2025 to surgery on the 18 August. I put that down to everything being in the one place through BowelScreen. It all worked so smoothly. I got to know the team and where to go to, even where to park. That convenience and reliability gave me confidence.
“I’m happy to give back by telling my story, and I know that it sounds a bit of a cliché, but I’ve been so lucky.
“Doing the test is like sticking a cotton bud in your poo, putting it into a little container and posting it away. It’s as simple as that. I’m fit, I eat a well-balanced diet, high in fibre, I love to walk. I keep up with all my health tests. I would’ve been confident that I would have a normal screening test result. I had no symptoms. The only reason I found I had bowel cancer was thanks to BowelScreen.”
For more information, to check you are registered and request a kit, go to hse.ie/bowelscreen or call 1800 45 45 55.
BowelScreen is part of the HSE’s National Screening Service.
Mike Brady from Midleton, Cork, who had bowel cancer detected through BowelScreen services in CUH, and wife Dorothy, show Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill the BowelScreen home test kit at the official launch of CUH BowelScreen endoscopy services on Friday, NNovember 14, 2025.
Pic: Brian Lougheed