John Lahart
Question:213. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the plans his Department has to implement the national cancer care strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11714/23]
View answerWednesday, 8 March 2023
Questions (213)
Written answers
The implementation of the National Cancer Strategy is a Programme for Government commitment and is part of the implementation of Sláintecare. We have seen significant progress on the implementation of the Strategy over the past six years, with clear evidence-based policy direction from my Department and strong implementation by the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).
The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 Implementation Report 2022 is currently being prepared, and it is hoped that this Report will be published in early Q2, 2023. My Department continues to work with the NCCP to implement the recommendations of the Strategy in 2023, including the recruitment of staff into cancer services and the improvement of services for patients.
As part of Budget 2022, €20m in new development funding was allocated for implementation of the National Cancer Strategy and €15m for new cancer drugs. The annual Implementation Report will outline how this funding was used to support ongoing initiatives and to drive improvements across all stages of the cancer continuum, facilitating further developments across prevention, diagnosis, treatment and patient supports.
The full text of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 and Implementation Reports for previous years (2018-2021) can be found on gov.ie, where they are available to download.