Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 15 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 5

Written Answers - Cancer Services.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

84 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people from the west of Ireland and in particular County Mayo suffering from cancer who used the outpatients facilities of St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin for each of the years from 1995 and to date in 1997. [16628/97]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

85 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people from the west of Ireland and in particular County Mayo suffering from cancer who used the inpatient facilities of St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin 6 for each of the years from 1995 and to date in 1997. [16629/97]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

87 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if people suffering from cancer from the west of Ireland can be treated in any other hospital rather than St. Luke's in Dublin. [16631/97]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 85 and 87 together.

In addition to the services provided in St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin, people living in the west of Ireland can be treated in a range of hospitals closer to their homes including University College Hospital Galway, Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Mayo General Hospital and Roscommon General Hospital. Under the national cancer strategy oncology, haematology, cytology and palliative care services are being strengthened in the Western Health Board area. To date a total of £550,000 has been allocated from funds available under the strategy to develop palliative care and cytology services. The action plan implementing the strategy also indicates that an additional medical oncologist and an additional haematologist will be appointed to the western region as implementation of the strategy proceeds.

Certain specialised services such as radiotherapy are available only in a limited number of locations at present, due to the very high cost involved and the large patient throughput required to make them viable. The question of providing radiotherapy services in University Hospital Galway is being kept under review in the context of planned capital developments there.

The number of out-patient attendances at St. Luke's Hospital from Counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon are shown as follows — a breakdown of figures between these counties is not available.

Year	New Patients	Number of attendances
1995	87	439
1996	129	479
1997 — 31/3/97	20	107

The number of admissions to St. Luke's Hospital from Counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon are shown below.

County	July-December 95*	1996	January-September 97
Mayo	55	188	118
Roscommon	31	67	42
Galway City	17	22	28
Galway County	60	144	89

*Figures for January to June 1995 are not available.