Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 April 2004
51 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which patients suffering from various forms of cancer can obtain treatment within their own region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10840/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's objective is to provide a model of cancer care which ensures that patients with cancer receive the most appropriate and best quality of care regardless of their place of residence.
Since 1997, there has been a total cumulative investment of €550 million in the development of appropriate treatment and care services for people with cancer. This includes the sum of €15 million which was provided this year to ensure that we continue to address the demands in cancer services is such areas as oncology/haematology services, oncology drug treatments, symptomatic breast disease services and to support the implementation of the report on the development of radiation oncology services in the Southern and Western Health Board regions.
Cancer services throughout the country have benefited significantly from this investment which far exceeds the £25 million requirement which was initially envisaged under the national cancer strategy. This investment has enabled the funding of 90 additional consultant posts, together with support staff in key areas such as medical oncology, radiology, palliative care, histopathology and haematology.
Since 1997, approximately €95 million in capital funding has been allocated specifically for the development of cancer related initiatives. These include an investment of €60 million in radiation oncology, €8.75 million in the bone marrow unit at St. James Hospital and €11.9 million in BreastCheck.
My plan for the development of radiotherapy services is that the supra-regional centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway will provide comprehensive radiation oncology services to patients regardless of their place of residence. Specifically, these supra-regional centres will provide significant sessional commitments to patients in the mid-west, north-west and south-east. The current developments in the southern and western regions will result in the provision of an additional five linear accelerators. This represents an increase of approximately 50% in linear accelerator capacity. We will also provide for the appointment of an additional five consultant radiation oncologists. We currently have ten consultant radiation oncologists nationally. This will result in a significant increase in the numbers of patients receiving radiation oncology in the short term. These appointments are specifically designed to offer patients in areas such as the North West, Mid-West and south-east equity of access to radiation oncology services that are in line with best international practice. As regards symptomatic breast cancer services, the report on the development of services for symptomatic breast disease, recommended the development of specialist units throughout the country. Five of these units are now operational and a further eight are at various stages of development. Last year, I also announced the extension of the national breast screening programme to counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford and also the national roll-out of the programme to the southern and western counties.
