Written Answers. - Cancer Services.
Joe Walsh
Ceist:
6
Mr. J. Walsh
asked the
Minister for Health
the specific initiatives, if any, which he has sanctioned to ensure the cancer mortality and morbidity rates are systematically reduced in this country; and the estimated cost of each initiative.
[2610/96]
Limerick East): Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in Europe with approximately 1.3 million cases each year and more than 840,000 deaths. As with other Western European countries, the standardised death rate from cancer for all age groups is rising in Ireland where the rate is higher than the EU average. An average of 18,000 new cases of cancer are recorded in Ireland each year and the annual death rate is approximately 7,500. In 1994 alone there were almost 42,000 hospital episodes due to cancer.
The incidence of cancer helps to put into context the very real difficulties faced by the health services on a daily basis in meeting the challenge presented by cancer.
Accordingly, on taking office just over 15 months ago I set as a priority the development of services to combat cancer and established a review group within my Department to examine all aspects of the health services as they impact on cancer patients.
This initiative was prompted by the perceived need to ensure the provision of an equitable and high quality cancer service throughout the country. The objective is to take all measures possible to reduce cancer mortality and morbidity rates and to ensure that those who develop cancer receive the most effective care and treatment.
The initiative concentrates on four main areas; prevention (including screening), treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The group, in considering its subject, has consulted widely at national and international level. The report of the group will outline a clear strategy aimed at meeting the expectations of patients, families and carers for a high quality comprehensive cancer service.
The review group will be submitting its report to me in the coming weeks. On receipt of this, it is my intention to bring the resulting proposals to Government and seek to secure additional investment for the development of cancer services where necessary.
Notwithstanding the work of the Cancer Review Group, I was pleased to provide significant additional development funding for cancer services in 1995 and again in the current year with the aim of reducing cancer mortality and morbidity rates.
In the acute hospital sector the largest single investment in the service is taking place at St Luke's Hospital, Dublin which is being developed as a national centre of excellence in the care and treatment of cancer patients. This development involves a complete upgrading of accommodation throughout the hospital and the provision of new state of the art treatment equipment. The total additional investment approved for this hospital alone currently exceeds £10 million.
Further major improvements in the acute hospital service include the following. St. James's Hospital have been allocated a sum of £350,000 in 1996 towards the cost of opening a new bone marrow unit in the hospital. A consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist with a special interest in oncology is being appointed to the Mater Hospital and the Rotunda Hospital. The Mater Hospital also received funding in the amount of £175,000 in 1995 to provide a day facility for chemotherapy patients and to provide a new cancer drug for suitable oncology patients. Beaumont Hospital appointed a new consultant in palliative care last month. This new post is shared with St. Francis Hospice, Raheny. A sum of £35,000 was allocated to St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park to recruit additional staff to improve oncology services. The Midland Health Board received £75,000 in 1995 for the commencement of oncology/mammography services at the General Hospital, Portlaoise. A further £50,000 is being made available in the current year to improve this service. The Mid-Western Health Board received a sum of £125,000 in 1995 to employ additional oncology nurses and for oncology drugs. On foot of a recommendation in the board's oncology services report a further £100,000 was allocated this year for the development of haematology services. A sum of £100,000 was allocated to the North-Western Health Board to develop oncology services in Letterkenny General and Sligo General Hospitals. An additional £175,000 was allocated to the board this year for the same purpose. Accommodation for cancer patients in University College Hospital, Galway, was improved in 1995 at a cost of £38,000 and this year the hospital plan to spend £40,000 on enhancing chemotherapy facilities.
An equally high priority has been attached to the development of palliative care services and additional funding has been allocated in 1995 and this year as follows. A new 19 bed in-patient unit was commissioned at St. Francis Hospice in Raheny in October, 1995. I have provided £1.3 million to date to meet the revenue costs of this new unit. Our Lady's Hospice, Harolds Cross has received approximately £250,000 for the continued development of facilities. A sum of £21,000 was allocated to the South Eastern Health Board to improve hospice accommodation in the board's area.
In the area of health promotion, which is also a central focus of the cancer review, developments are continuing which will improve the delivery of cancer services. The target set down in the Department's Health Strategy is to reduce the death rate from cancer in the under-65 age-group by 15 per cent in the next ten years. The National Health Promotion Strategy which was published more recently also has the objective of effecting a significant improvement in the health status of people in Ireland by "making the healthier choice the easier choice". Other initiatives funded by my Department in the area of health promotion include: anti-tobacco initiatives; a healthy eating programme; co-operation with the EU under the Europe Against Cancer Programme which concentrates on cancer promotion and early detection; and a smoking cessation programme for pregnant women currently under way at the Rotunda Hospital.
In the area of breast screening, I was pleased to announce in October 1995 the establishment of a National Breast Screening Programme to be introduced on a phased basis. The decision to proceed on a phased basis is guided by the need for the achievement of acceptable compliance levels among the target population; on-going evaluation of the programme from a quality assurance perspective; and availability of the necessary clinical expertise to conduct the programme. Funding of £1.1 million has been allocated in 1996 to meet the start up costs associated with this initiative.
While the above information answers the specific questions raised by the Deputy, I would like to point out that the cancer services cannot be considered as a distinct entity apart from the health services overall. A wide range of diseases come under the heading of cancer and it is treated at all levels of the health service. Within the acute hospital sector, for example, a multidisciplinary approach is taken to the care and treatment of cancer patients. Cancer specialists will often receive the assistance of their colleagues from a variety of specialities, for example, radiology, phlebology and haematology, in accessing and treating cancer patients. It will be clear, therefore, that apart from direct funding of improvements in cancer services, the funding of developments in many other areas also has an indirect beneficial effect on the way in which cancer patients are treated.
