Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health
Challenges Facing Community-based Cancer Support Services: Discussion
Mr. Conor O'Leary:
To add, the sector is a very person-centred sector. The services have been very much client-led. Over the years, as Mr. Flaherty said, the demographics may have changed slightly, but the beauty of the sector is that we are able to adapt the services to meet the needs of the client at a particular time. We are quite a lean sector to be able to do that. Oftentimes, a big group of clients will identify a need or a needs assessment will be done, either by the NCCP or by the centres themselves for a particular type of service for a particular cohort of patients. Once the due diligence and clinical governance is done around that, oftentimes that is how many services have come into existence, such as support groups or various survivorship programmes. They have all been client-led. As a sector, we really listen to the patient and we provide what they need and what they want at whatever stage they are presenting at.
No comments