Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Apr 2003

Vol. 565 No. 1

Radiotherapy Services.

Mr. Cregan

I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for giving me an opportunity to raise this important issue. The Minister of State is aware of my interest in trying to ensure that the people I represent have the best possible health services. I am supporting a proposal to establish a radiotherapy service in the mid-west region for the benefit of cancer patients and their families. This proposal was initiated at a meeting of the Mid-Western Health Board in January. It involves a public private partnership between the health board, the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust and the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin.

Under the terms of the proposals, the Mid-Western Health Board will provide a site adjacent to the existing to the cancer centre at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital where planning permission already exists for a radiotherapy unit. The Mid-Western Regional Hospital's development will provide about €6 million for building and equipping the unit. The Mater Private Hospital will be responsible for the operating costs, including the staffing and equipment replacement.

About 1,500 people are diagnosed with cancer in the mid-west region each year, about half of whom require radiotherapy treatment. At present, there are four centres, including two private facilities, delivering radiotherapy services. Three of those centres are in Dublin and one in Cork, which is insufficient to meet current demand. The result is that there are long waiting lists of people from my region in particular who are experiencing difficulty in receiving treatment due to the distances involved. They have to spend approximately six weeks away from their homes to obtain treatment in Dublin or Cork. This is particularly the case for patients with terminal illness who require radiotherapy services to ease their pain and suffering. A local unit would transform their lives.

The only funding which the Mid-Western Health Board is seeking from the Exchequer is to pay for the cost of treatment for public patients. This will be approximately €5 million initially and about €1.5 million when the unit is fully up and running. By doing this, there will be no barriers to the treatment of public patients who will have the same access as patients covered by health insurance.

This is a golden opportunity to put in place the final component of a world class cancer service for the people of the mid-west region. If given the go ahead, the unit could be operational within two years, and it would put an end to the hardship which sick and vulnerable people are currently enduring.

I would be grateful if the Minister of State could examine this proposal. We are not asking for much. There is a public private partnership ready to take off and I ask the Minister of State to give it his favourable consideration.

Mr. Callely

I thank Deputy Cregan for raising this matter on the Adjournment and for giving me the opportunity to consider further this proposal as well as setting out the current position regarding the provision of radiotherapy services nationally.

As the Deputy is aware, a group has been established to examine the appropriate future development of radiotherapy services. The group comprises a multidisciplinary team of experts in radiation oncology, surgical oncology, nursing, epidemiology and palliative care. The group has conducted a national assessment of needs for radiotherapy services having regard to the demography and epidemiology of cancer and the gaps in current service provision.

The group's report will address the following key issues: access to radiotherapy services; the need to provide a high quality, evidence-based service; the need to take account of current and new developments in health technology; the requirements of the system in terms of human resources; international norms regarding service provision, planning and staffing; and the organisational development of the services in terms of the structures and processes required in a radiotherapy facility. I understand that the report of the expert review group on radiotherapy services is at the final editing stage and will be submitted shortly to the Minister for Health and Children.

All health boards, including the Mid-Western Health Board, have been afforded the opportunity to meet with and make submissions to the group. I am aware that the Mid-Western Health Board has submitted a proposal to the Department of Health and Children for the development of radiotherapy services in its region. I am pleased that my colleague, Deputy Cregan, has taken a special interest in the proposal that has been submitted to my Department. The Deputy has quite rightly put a strong case as to why the proposal should receive favourable consideration. I have been informed that consideration of this proposal will be informed by the report of the expert group on radiotherapy services.

The provision of additional radiotherapy services nationally will be considered in the context of the report. The case the Deputy has made, and which he made privately to me earlier, merits due consideration. I do not wish to pre-empt whatever the expert group's report may conclude but I understand that following consideration of the report, the Minister for Health and Children will be in a position to submit proposals for consideration by the Government.