FF TD to 'consider his position' over cancer services

A FIANNA Fáil TD said yesterday that he would "consider his position" if the plan to downgrade cancer services at his local hospital is not dropped.

Sligo-North Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon was speaking about the plan to transfer breast cancer services from Sligo General Hospital, which has sparked furious protests.

While Prof Tom Keane, who is heading up the Government's national cancer strategy, recently commented that the debate about Sligo was over, Mr Scanlon insisted yesterday that ultimately this was a political decision.

Asked on Ocean FM radio in Sligo what he would do if the campaign failed, Mr Scanlon said the people of the northwest had put him in the Dáil "and I would have to consider my position".

Mr Scanlon told The Irish Times that there was no doubt that Fianna Fáil members locally were under huge pressure because of this issue, but he refused to elaborate on what he meant by considering his position.

He pointed out that he had met the Taoiseach to discuss the huge level of local concern about the HSE proposals. Mr Scanlon joined senior party colleagues from the constituency, including Minister of State at the Department of Health Jimmy Devins and Senator Marc MacSharry, at a protest outside the hospital on Friday night, which was attended by more than 3,000 people. Commenting on the political implications of the controversial HSE plan, Mr Scanlon said that it was "an easy time to be in Opposition".

He said he and Mr Devins and Mr MacSharry would meet the Taoiseach in the next two weeks to discuss this issue.

Mr Scanlon said none of the eight planned centres of excellence will be located north of the Galway/Dublin line and "any fair minded person would have to agree that this is not right".

The TD added that while Prof Keane was pressing ahead with the HSE proposals, the only way the strategy could be changed was through "a political decision at the highest level".

Mr Devins has also insisted that the battle to retain cancer services in Sligo is not over despite indications from HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm that Sligo-based breast cancer services would be transferred.

Mr Scanlon said that having been a patient at University Hospital in Galway recently, he knew that they had not enough car parking facilities.

"It has been estimated that 4,000 extra cancer patients a year will be transferred there from Sligo and while it is okay if you have someone to drive you, this is a serious issue for people who are sick and travelling on their own."