Counselling and advice for people with cancer is provided by a variety of agencies, both public and voluntary. It is done by individual hospitals and at community level through such organisations as the Irish Cancer Society. I am conscious that the number and type of counselling services offered by different organisations vary greatly. The form of counselling may range from reassurance at the time of diagnosis, to basic information about managing an illness, through to working with patients and their families for some considerable period about all of the implications of their condition. I am also conscious that counselling is of equal relevance to people with other long-term illnesses.
Given the complexity of the area I wish to develop a framework for assessing the need for and value of the many types of counselling currently available. My Department will initiate a review of the role of counselling services for persons with cancer and other long-term conditions. It will then be possible to form a view on how best to support counselling services.