Government plans for a new €400 million national network of radiotherapy services are expected to lead to increased survival rates of up to 20 per cent for some forms of cancer.
The Cabinet has agreed plans, to be completed by 2011, for four specialist cancer treatment centres in Dublin (St James's and Beaumont hospitals), Cork (Cork University Hospital) and Galway (University College Hospital), and two satellite units in Waterford and Limerick.
At present, public patients who require radiotherapy have to travel to St Luke's Hospital in Dublin or to more limited services in Cork and Galway. Experts estimate that about half of cancer patients who need radiation therapy receive it. The new service would allow access to radiotherapy for all patients.
Dr John Kennedy, consultant medical oncologist at St James's and St Luke's hospitals and chairman of the Irish Cancer Society's medical committee, said the investment could have a major impact on mortality rates for cancer. "The provision of proper infrastructure which allows for effective and timely multidisciplinary care can increase survival rates for some cancers by up to 20 per cent," Dr Kennedy said.
The plans, which will involve a capital investment of €400 million, will be funded through a public-private partnership. The announcement has received a mixed reaction from lobby groups.
Noelle Duddy of the Donegal Action on Cancer Care said Government plans to make arrangements for radiotherapy services from Belfast City Hospital were deeply disappointing. "While Belfast may appear to be viable, it's running to capacity," she said. "Belfast is 100 to 150 miles away from some parts of Donegal. The centralisation of this service is not in the best interests of patients here."
Jane Bailey of the Cancer Care Alliance in Waterford, where lack of radiotherapy services had been a major political issue, expressed delight at the decision. "These are services needed by almost every family in the country. We're delighted that the Minister has recognised that in order to provide an equitable service, geography is critical."
The Irish Cancer Society also welcomed the plans and urged the Government to meet the 2011 target.
Minister for Health Mary Harney said the investment would result in all patients who needed radiotherapy services receiving it. She added that "satellite" services would be fully integrated with the national network, while rejecting suggestions that political considerations had any role with the location of the new units.
"Underlying this decision is my strong conviction that what matters most is not bricks and mortar, or complex machines, but the expertise that uses this equipment," she said. "The future of clinical practice is in networks of teams of cancer specialists that operate at a scale sufficient to allow experts to sub-specialise."
The blueprint for the national network of radiation oncology services are broadly similar to recommendations outlined in the 2003 Hollywood report, which advised that radiotherapy facilities be concentrated in four areas. It did not, however, back the establishment of satellite units in Waterford or Limerick.
Services at St Luke's Hospital, which has been providing radiotherapy treatment, will transfer to a new facility at St James's.
