THREE PROTESTS took place at the weekend over plans to withdraw cancer services from locations in the midlands, the northeast and Dublin.
The largest turnout was at a march through Drogheda, Co Louth, on Saturday in opposition to plans to transfer certain cancer services from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital to Dublin's Beaumont Hospital. About 1,500 people, including some hospital staff, took part. Speakers called on the HSE and the Government to reverse the decision to move breast cancer diagnosis and surgery services from Drogheda to Dublin.
The changes are part of the HSE's plan to centralise cancer care into eight centres of excellence, which it says will improve patient outcomes. Beaumont is one of the designated centres of excellence.
Anna Kelly, secretary of the Save Our Cancer Unit group, warned TDs in the region that patients and their families would remember the public representatives who did and did not support their campaign at the next election.
Gerard Nash, former mayor of Drogheda and Louth county councillor, said it was bizarre and nonsensical to remove a service that was working well. "Better patient care and outcomes for the people of the north east should not involve sick people being forced to travel to an unfamiliar and already overstretched facility at Beaumont when there is an excellent service which meets the standards of best international practice already being provided locally," he said.
In Portlaoise, Co Laois, up to 100 people took part in a march to the gates of the Midland Regional Hospital on Saturday. Those taking part called for the retention of cancer services in the midlands region.
Olive Stanley-Wetzel, a former cancer patient, said she wanted a centre of excellence for cancer care in the midlands rather than having four in Dublin. "It is justified to demand that the people of the midlands are not bypassed in the cancer strategy," she said.
In Dublin, also on Saturday, up to 200 people took part in a protest over plans to close St Luke's cancer hospital in Rathgar and transfer its services to St James's Hospital.