Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2007
266 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children the future availability of cancer treatment services at Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, in particular the future of the breast care unit, the oncology unit and the palliative care unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22602/07]
View answerThe HSE has designated four managed cancer control networks (coterminous with the four HSE administrative regions) and eight cancer centres nationally. The two designated cancer centres in the HSE Dublin North East Region are Beaumont Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin.
I recently approved National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services under the Health Act 2007. Arising from the designation of cancer centres and in order to comply with the Standards, the Executive has directed thirteen hospitals, with low case volumes (less than twenty procedures per year) to cease breast cancer services immediately, to be followed by further staged reductions in the number of hospitals providing breast cancer services from twenty-two to the eight cancer centres. A number of the thirteen hospitals have in practice already discontinued symptomatic breast services. The National Hospitals Office has already planned the redirection of this symptomatic caseload. Additional groups of hospitals, including Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda will be similarly directed, in line with the further development of quality assured capacity in the eight designated centres.
The decisions of the HSE in relation to the designation of four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. The HSE plans to have completed 80-90% of the transition of services to the cancer centres by the end of 2009. It is possible to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care while at the same time ensuring significant local access to services, where appropriate. Where diagnosis and treatment planning is directed and managed by multi-disciplinary teams based at the cancer centres, then it can be appropriate for much of the treatment (other than surgery) to be delivered in other more local locations. In such circumstances, it will be necessary that all cancer cases receiving care should be quality assured as part of the cancer centre's service.
Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular questions raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy in relation to the matters raised.
