THE PROPOSED transfer of the breast cancer unit at the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital to Cork University Hospital will not go ahead early next year unless proper resources are in place at CUH, it emerged yesterday.
National Cancer Control Programme director Prof Tom Keane told yesterday's HSE South Regional Health Forum that the transfer of staff would only go ahead when he is satisfied that the proper resources are in place at CUH to cater for the expanded service.
Prof Keane said that he had discussions with both CUH general manager Tony McNamara and CUH network manager Gerry O'Dwyer regarding the establishment of the surgical cancer unit at CUH and he was satisfied that proper provision would be made.
But he stressed there would be no transfer of the staff from the existing unit at the Victoria hospital until CUH is ready to accommodate them and provide an expanded service catering for all breast cancer patients from Cork and Kerry.
"I will not transfer the service to CUH until the resources are there to support the service," said Prof Keane, adding that he was satisfied that the funding would be available for the provision of two operating rooms, a surgery and improved diagnostic facilities.
And he rejected suggestions that the move involved transferring a unit to an already congested campus at CUH.
Prof Keane said that there is already a considerable skill mix and commitment to oncology services at CUH even though such staff may be located at different sites within the hospital but he was confident that it was the correct location for such service provision in Cork.
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," said SIVUH in its statement.
"We do not believe that the best interests of the women of Cork and Munster would be served by transferring the unit to an already crowded campus where the treatment experience of the disease is far less," the statement added.
Management at CUH and Jason Kelly, a plastic surgeon employed there, yesterday expressed regret over the controversy resulting from an e-mail from the surgeon regarding patient care at the hospital that was leaked to the media. A statement said both management and Mr Kelly regretted "the potential for misrepresentation consequent upon the leaking of correspondence subsequently interpreted out of context".