Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2006
373 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health and Children the conditions that must be met for a private hospital to provide radiotherapy services to public patients; and when negotiations between a clinic (details supplied) in County Waterford and the Health Service Executive will be completed. [33969/06]
View answerQuality standards for the provision of radiation oncology services for public patients have been prepared by an expert group established on foot of a Government decision in January 2004. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised my Department that it is applying these standards to radiation oncology services that it provides or arranges to have provided. My Department is working closely with the HSE to progress the National Radiation Oncology Plan announced by Government in July 2005. It will deliver integrated care to cancer patients by multidisciplinary teams of cancer experts at centres in Dublin, at Beaumont and St. James's Hospitals, Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital. The specific issue in relation to negotiations between the HSE and the Whitfield Clinic is a matter for the HSE. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to this matter.
