Vol. 562 No. 6
5 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to recent comments made by a person (details supplied) that patients with urgent cancer were now being forced to wait up to four months to be admitted for surgery due to the bed crisis and that the situation was, in his experience, the worst for 30 years; the steps being taken to deal with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6829/03]
Since the implementation of the national cancer strategy commenced in 1997, there has been a cumulative additional investment of approximately €400 million in the development of appropriate treatment and care services for people with cancer. This includes the sum of €29 million which was provided this year to ensure that we continue to address increasing demands in cancer services in such areas as oncology-haematology services, oncology drug treatments and symptomatic breast disease services.
Cancer services throughout the country have benefited from this investment which far exceeds the £25 million requirement which was initially envisaged under the national cancer strategy. This investment has enabled the funding of 80 additional consultant posts, together with support staff in key areas such as medical oncology, radiology, palliative care, histopathology and haematology. The benefit of this investment is reflected in the significant increase in activity which has occurred. For example, the number of new patients receiving radiotherapy treatment has increased from 2,402 in 1994 to 3,809 in 2000. This means that an additional 1,407 patients are accessing these services, representing an increase of 58% nationally. The number of new patients receiving chemotherapy treatment has increased from 2,693 in 1994 to 3,519 in 2000, representing an increase of 30% nationally. Similarly, breast cancer surgery has increased from 1,333 in 1997 to 1,854 in 2001. This is an increase of 39% nationally.
My Department has consulted with all regional health boards and the position is that oncology patients are treated as an urgent priority and are generally operated on within two weeks. I have been informed by the ERHA that there were problems earlier in the year in the Mater Hospital with regard to the cancellation of elective admissions due to the pressure on acute beds as a result of emergency admissions and delayed discharges. These problems directly affected the availability of urology beds in the Mater Hospital for elective admissions, including cancer patients. The ERHA has confirmed that the ward in question has now reverted to use for elective patients.
It is unacceptable that surgery for cancer patients should be delayed in this manner. Given the importance attached to this matter, the Eastern Regional Health Authority raised it yesterday with the chief executive officers of the Dublin academic teaching hospitals, including the Mater Hospital. At this meeting, the chief executive officer of the hospital concerned assured the ERHA that priority admissions such as urgent cancer cases are protected as far as possible.
Additional information
I emphasise that the position is that cancer cases are protected and this is a major priority within acute hospitals throughout the country. My commitment to cancer services is reflected in the substantial additional investment in cancer services in recent years.
I thank the Minister for his reply but it does not deal with the issue that has been raised. Just two weeks ago, a senior urologist who deals with kidney, bladder and prostrate cancers, described the crisis he is having to deal with as the worst time in his 30 years of practice. Does the Minister have any words of comfort for Mr. James Smith who made this statement? He is concerned about the fact that a number of his patients had to wait not for a couple of weeks but for months before they could access the required procedure, even though they were urgent cases. Mr. Smith has had ten or 15 urgent cases on his case list within the past two weeks.
Since there is clearly a lack of beds in the acute hospital sector, is the Minister aware that nursing homes are queuing up to let us know they have empty beds which could be used to free up beds in acute hospitals in Dublin?
There are 260 of them today.
Will the Minister ensure there is sufficient funding to unblock those beds in the acute hospital system, including the Mater Hospital, so that people suffering from cancer who need urgent attention, and who, fortunately, have an advocate in Mr. James Smith, to speak on their behalf, can access the required care within days rather than weeks or months?
Having contacted all the health boards, I made the point that the average waiting time for oncology patients who require surgery is two weeks. The Deputy referred to a specific specially in a Dublin hospital where there have been ongoing issues both this year and last year. It is disingenuous of the private nursing homes association and others to suggest that we have not been pumping money into the nursing home sector in the eastern region.
They have been doing it all along.
Over €50 million has been allocated through the Eastern Regional Health Authority to continuing care beds and nursing home subventions. While I do not have the exact figures with me, I provided them to the House on an earlier occasion. Between subvented and contract beds, up to 4,000 are available. The 1998 budget for nursing home subventions nationally was €38 million, while by the end of 2002 it was €102 million and it is expected to rise to €110 million this year. It is no wonder nursing homes are queuing up to speak to the Deputy, given the premium rates that are to be obtained because of the shortage of public sector beds, of which there has been a historical underprovision.
If the Minister can provide them more cheaply, why does he not do so?
In the context of the beds that have already been subvented and contracted by the ERHA, 260 is not a huge amount. One does not always get the match between what is available and what is required but, having said that, the biggest investment project we have made is in this hospital. Admittedly, because of its location and topography it will take time for that major investment to take place. In the interim, last October I approved an additional investment of €1.3 million for its accident and emergency department, a chest pain clinic and a minor injuries unit, to try to alleviate admissions and overcrowding in the accident and emergency department. I assure the Deputy that we will work with the ERHA not just to allocate more money to subventions, but also to provide funding for managing continuing care beds more effectively to get a better throughput of patients.
