Oncologists called for eight radiotherapy sites

The country's consultant medical oncologists urged the Government last year to establish radiotherapy facilities for cancer patients in eight public hospitals around the State rather than adopting a policy of centralising services in Dublin, Cork and Galway, previously confidential documents reveal.

A confidential report drawn up last year by the Irish Society of Medical Oncologists and given to the Department of Health and its advisory body on cancer care, the National Cancer Forum, urged that radiotherapy facilities be established in Waterford and Limerick as well as the three other centres.

The Government last year decided to adopt an expert group report which recommended that priority should be given to the development of a network of large radiotherapy centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

The previously confidential submission by the country's medical oncologists, which is contrary to the Government's plans, has been obtained recently by Independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney, is set to be questioned about the oncologists' submission at the Dáil Health Committee next Wednesday.

Dr Cowley told The Irish Times last night he would be asking Ms Harney why the medical oncologists' report was never published, and why its recommendations were overruled.

He believed that the emergence of the submission could reopen the debate on the location of radiotherapy facilities.

Dr Cowley, a long-time critic of the Government's plans for radiotherapy, said the expert group report had been "flawed", and had been driven by the centralisation agenda of people in Dublin.

He urged the Government to abandon its current proposals for radiotherapy, and look again at providing facilities in Waterford and Limerick.

In its submission, the Irish Society of Medical Oncologists urged that comprehensive cancer centres be established in Cork University Hospital; Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick; University College Hospital, Galway; Waterford Regional Hospital; St Vincent's University Hospital; Mater Hospital; Beaumont Hospital; and St James's Hospital.

"By definition comprehensive cancer centres must have a clinical group which includes radiation oncologists, and radiation facilities must be provided at these sites.

"The bulk of standard radiation therapy can be provided at the individual centres, but highly specialised care for rare cancers or cancers requiring complex radiation or complex multidisciplinary care will need to be developed at individual centres by agreement."

Under the Government's plans there will be two radiotherapy centres in Dublin, one on the north side and one on the south side, and facilities in Cork and Galway.

Earlier this month six Dublin hospitals made submissions to the Department of Health to secure radiotherapy facilities. The provision of the two radiotherapy centres will be among the largest and most expensive developments in hospitals in the coming years.

In its invitation for submissions to hospitals, the Department of Health said: "The development of these centres as a clinical network is of paramount importance, and will, in the shortest possible timeframe, begin to address the profound deficit in radiation therapy capacity which has been identified."

The Department said consideration should be given to the efficacy of developing satellite centres in Waterford, Limerick and the north-east.