ONE OF the State’s busiest breast cancer treatment units has expressed concern at HSE’s plans to close down the unit at the end of the year and centralise breast cancer treatment services in Cork and Kerry at Cork University Hospital (CUH).
The South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) yesterday issued a statement strongly criticising HSE proposals to close the unit and concentrate services at CUH, saying the proposal was not based on “any logical or rational evaluation”.
In September 2007 the Government endorsed the establishment by the HSE of a National Cancer Control Programme to deliver a national programme in line with the National Cancer Strategy. In the programme, CUH and Waterford Regional Hospital were designated as the two cancer centres for treatment of those with the disease in the south, and cancer programme director, Prof Tom Keane, indicated last month that he intended to proceed with that plan.
But the proposal has angered those providing treatment services at the Symptomatic Breast Care Unit at SIVUH which last year treated some 210 breast cancer patients and by the end of April this year had treated 110 – a 93 per cent increase on the same period last year.
“The breast cancer treatment services at SIVUH are the largest, most sophisticated and comprehensive in the State. We are adamant that on the basis of any logical or rational evaluation, these established services should be left in place,” SIVUH said. “We do not believe the best interests of the women of Cork and Munster would be best served by transferring the unit to an already crowded campus where the treatment experience of the disease is far less.”