Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
760. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a full breakdown of the hospitals in Ireland that offer and provide a cold cap machine to patients undergoing intravenous chemotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31306/23]
View answer761. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Health if there is a national protocol on the provision of the service of a cold cap machine to patients undergoing intravenous chemotherapy treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31307/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 760 and 761 together.
The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) advise that the provision of systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) for patients with cancer can include many other additional elements to support the patient in the management of adverse effects associated with their treatment. Scalp cooling is an example of one such supportive care measure. There are 26 public hospitals providing SACT in Ireland. A patient’s consultant will consider each patient’s supportive care requirements, taking into account the individual patient, their treatment, and the evidence relating to the supportive care measure.
There is no clinical consensus on the use of scalp cooling as a supportive care measure for patients with cancer undergoing SACT. It is made available in some of the public hospitals providing SACT, based on suitability of the patient, local availability of equipment, service needs and capacity.
A scalp cooling service is provided in seven hospitals nationally. These include St Vincent’s University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Cork University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, St. Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny, Sligo University Hospital, Cavan General Hospital. The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore had previously provided this service, but the service was paused during the pandemic and has not yet resumed.
