On behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, I thank Deputy O'Shea for raising this important matter in the House, and for giving me an opportunity to outline the major investment the Government is making in the development of radiotherapy services in the context of an agreed strategy based on a firm assessment of need.
Against the background of some of the recent critical commentary, it is important to reassure patients, potential patients and their families of the capacity of radiotherapy services here to respond to their needs, and of the Government's continuing efforts to ensure the development of services keeps pace with demand.
There are some important points regarding cancer treatment services. The National Cancer Strategy which was published in November 1996 and followed in March 1997 by a three year action plan for its implementation, identified two principle objectives: to take all measures possible to reduce rates of illness and death from cancer, in line with the targets established in the Health Strategy, Shaping a Healthier Future; and to ensure that those who develop cancer receive the most effective care and treatment and that their quality of life is enhanced to the greatest extent possible.
Underlying these objectives is the need for quality, patient-focused service. One of the specific objectives of the strategy is to ensure that all patients have access to an equitable, effective service with a uniformly high quality of care, wherever they live.
Since the commencement of the implementation of the strategy in 1997, some £40 million of dedicated funding has been allocated to the development of cancer services nationally. This investment has resulted in additional consultant appointments in the areas of medical oncology, haematology, histopathology and palliative care.
Radiotherapy is a highly specialised and capital intensive service, requiring specialist personnel, including, for example, therapeutic radiographers, nurses with training in oncology, and technical and engineering support staff. A minimum throughput of patients is required to maintain and develop the specialist skills required for the service. Because of these considerations and the complexity of radiotherapy services, the National Cancer Strategy recommended that radiotherapy services should be provided from two supra regional centres. The two centres currently providing radiotherapy services to cancer patients are St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin and Cork University Hospital.
The strategy recommended that the case for providing a radiotherapy service from a third supra-regional centre at Galway should be kept under review, and I am pleased to report that the Government acted quickly in assessing that case and took the decision to provide a service at Galway at an estimated cost of some £10 million. The radiotherapy service there will be provided as part of the overall phase two development at the hospital. Construction of the overall phase two development commenced in June 2000.
In addition to this major investment in new radiotherapy facilities, the existing services available have also benefited from a major injection of resources. An important investment in radiotherapy and other cancer services in Cork University Hospital is being made with the allocation of £12.5 million for this purpose. The development will include a chemotherapy day unit, two state of the art linear accelerators and advanced CT simulation facilities. Together with approval for the appointment of two consultant medical oncologists, the improvements will ensure that the service for cancer patients in this area is in line with the best available internationally.
The State's largest radiotherapy centre at St. Luke's and St. Anne's Hospital opened in June 1998, after a major redevelopment funded by a capital investment of more than £20 million. Last year, two additional consultant radiotherapists were appointed to the hospital as part of the ongoing process of developing services there.
The Minister is well aware of the need for further investment in cancer services and will continue to identify this as a priority for his tenure of office. The National Cancer Strategy has to date achieved a widespread enhancement of the range and quality of cancer services available and a major improvement in equity of access to these services. However, we must continue to look ahead and to examine ways of building on the success to date by continual improvement and investment. In this regard, on foot of a proposal from the National Cancer Forum, an expert review group to examine the appropriate further development of radiotherapy services has been established.
Having regard to the developments in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment in recent years, the provisions of the National Cancer Strategy regarding radiotherapy services and best practice in this area, the expert group has been asked: to undertake an assessment of need in radiotherapy services, including recommended norms regarding service provision, planning and staffing for facilities; and on the basis of needs identified, to make recommendations on the future development of radiotherapy services, including links with radiotherapy services in Northern Ireland. It is in this context that the assessment of need for radiotherapy services at Waterford Regional Hospital will be carried out.
I cannot over emphasise the Government's commitment to a further development of cancer services. Cancer is a scourge on this society, as it is in societies the world over. While it must be recognised that significant progress has been made in the development of our infrastructure and services for the treatment and prevention of this disease, the Minister is equally aware of the need for the continued concerted effort in this area. It is the Minister's intention to work with the National Cancer Forum to ensure that those people requiring cancer treatment services will have available to them a high quality, equitable service that matches the best available anywhere in the world.
