No discussions have taken place between my Department, the South Eastern Health Board and the promoters of a private hospital planned for County Waterford in relation to the provision of radiotherapy services for public patients. My Department has not committed any revenue or capital resources towards the provision of radiotherapy services in private hospitals.
My plans for the development of radiation oncology services are in line with the report of the expert working group on the development of radiation oncology services in Ireland, which I launched in October 2003. Its recommendations have been accepted by Government. The Government agrees that a major programme is now required to rapidly develop clinical radiation oncology treatment services to modern standards. Furthermore, the Government has agreed that the first phase of such a new programme should be the development of a clinical network of large centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The development of these centres as a clinical network is of paramount importance and will, in the shortest possible timeframe, begin to address the profound deficit in radiation therapy services that has been identified in the report. The implementation of the report's recommendations is the single most important priority of my Department in cancer services in the acute setting.
In relation to patients in the south eastern region, significant progress is being made to ensure improved access to radiation oncology services that are in line with best international practice. Approval has issued for the provision of two additional linear accelerators for the supra-regional centre at Cork University Hospital and the necessary capital investment amounting to over €4 million to commission the service as rapidly as possible. In 2004, €1 million ongoing revenue funding is being made available for this development which will improve services for cancer patients in the Southern, South Eastern and Mid-Western Health Boards.
The immediate developments in the south and west will result in the provision of an additional five linear accelerators. This represents an increase of approximately 50% in linear accelerator capacity. We have provided for the appointment of an additional five consultant radiation oncologists. Recruitment for these posts is under way. One of these posts will have significant sessional commitments to the south eastern region. We currently have ten consultant radiation oncologists nationally. These developments will result in a significant increase in the numbers of patients receiving radiation oncology in the short term.
It is my intention to develop a national integrated network of radiation oncology, based on equitable access regardless of location and an effective national quality assurance programme. As recommended in the report, I have established the national radiation oncology co-ordinating group. The group comprises clinical, technical, managerial, academic and nursing expertise from different geographic regions. The group's remit encompasses the national co-ordination and delivery of existing and planned radiation oncology services, including agreeing quality assurance protocols and guidelines for the referral of public patients to private facilities. I expect the group to develop proposals in these important areas.