Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 October 2005
77 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of times the national radiation oncology co-ordinating group has met in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29930/05]
View answer81 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the progress made by the national radiation oncology co-ordinating group in advancing measures to ensure equitable access to radiation services and to improve access, including transport and accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29942/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 81 together.
As I have previously indicated to the House, I consider that appropriate transport arrangements for patients requiring radiotherapy should be made available, where necessary, by the Health Service Executive, HSE. My Department raised this matter with the HSE last May to ensure that appropriate transport arrangements are put in place on a national basis for patients who are required to travel to obtain radiotherapy. Transport solutions are already a feature of the current provision of radiation oncology services. My Department has asked the HSE to advise the Deputy directly in regard to current and proposed transport arrangements for radiation oncology patients nationally.
Last July I announced the Government's plan for a national network of radiation oncology services to be put in place by 2011 and commencing in 2008. The network will consist of four large centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital. The Government considers that the best option in terms of improving geographic access for patients in the north-western area is to facilitate access for those patients to radiation oncology services as part of North-South co-operation on cancer. Appropriate transport arrangements will form part of the planning and implementation of this plan, given the significant increase in capacity involved.
The national radiation oncology co-ordinating group, NROCG, provides advice to my Department and the HSE on radiotherapy. In light of the above and the fact that under the Health Act 2004, the HSE has responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services, the NROCG does not intend to prepare a specific report on transport.
The group has met three times this year and is currently finalising quality standards for the provision of radiation oncology services for public patients. I expect them to be submitted to me shortly.
