I wish to ask the Minister for Health and Children if there are any plans to increase the number of beds for cancer care to serve the population of 100,000 in north Kildare and if consideration could be given to using some of the existing beds in the Maynooth community unit run by the South Western Area Health Board for such care since St. Brigid's hospice in the Curragh is the nearest such facility and this imposes undue hardship on patients on their families? There is no public transport from Maynooth, Kilcock and Leixlip to the hospice in the Curragh. Some kindness and consideration should be shown to those who must go to the Curragh by the provision of direct transport. At present, they must travel by taxi or must travel to Naas and then to the Curragh. Are there any plans in place in this regard?
Cancer Treatment Services.
I thank the Senator for raising the issue.
Since implementation of the national cancer strategy commenced in 1997, there has been a cumulative additional investment of approximately €550 million nationally in the development of appropriate treatment and care services for people with cancer. This includes the sum of €15 million which was provided in 2004 to ensure that we continue to address increasing demands in cancer services throughout the country.
Since 1997, there has been a cumulative additional investment of approximately €183 million in the development of appropriate treatment and care services in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area for people with cancer. This investment has enabled the funding of 41 additional consultant posts together with support staff in key areas of cancer care, such as medical oncology, radiology and palliative care. The funding has also provided for the appointment of 97 cancer care nurse specialists across the health authority region.
The new national cancer strategy, which is being developed by the National Cancer Forum in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children, will build on the progress made during the implementation of the first national cancer strategy. It will set out key investment areas to be targeted for the development of cancer services over the coming years. It will also make recommendations regarding the organisation and structure of cancer services nationally.
The report of the national advisory committee on palliative care was launched on 4 October 2001. It describes a comprehensive palliative care service and acts as a blueprint for its development. It is planned that the report's recommendations will be implemented over a five to seven year period. Prior to the launch of the report, £3 million or €3.8 million, was allocated to the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to begin implementing its recommendations. At the beginning of 2001, an additional £2.625 million, or €3.3 million, was also allocated to the boards and authority for palliative care services. An additional €6.928 million funding was made available for improvements in palliative care services in 2002. In 2003, additional funding of €2.456 million was provided and this year the figure is €1.2 million.
As the Senator is aware, the provision of health services in County Kildare is, in the first instance, the responsibility of the South Western Area Health Board acting under the aegis of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. The authority has advised the Department of Health and Children that the number of palliative care beds in Drogheda Memorial Hospital in the Curragh was increased from four to seven. In these circumstances, there are no plans to use beds in the Maynooth community nursing unit for palliative care.