Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position with the reorganisation of cancer services, with particular reference to the midland region. Recent events, particularly with regard to cancer services in the midland region, underscore the absolute need for the HSE national cancer control programme to be implemented without delay. Let us all agree that the development of quality assured cancer control services, as set out in the national strategy for cancer control, is the best way of ensuring that the risk of such events is minimised in the future.

The HSE has appointed Professor Tom Keane as national cancer control director to lead and manage the establishment of the national cancer control programme. The decisions of the HSE on four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. The designation of centres aims to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care while at the same time ensuring local access to services, where appropriate. Patients enjoy a 20% improvement in survival if they are treated in specialist centres which provide multidisciplinary care. Where diagnosis and treatment planning is directed and managed by multidisciplinary teams based at the cancer centres, much of the treatment, other than surgery, can be delivered in local hospitals.

The HSE has designated St. James's Hospital and St. Vincent's hospital as the two cancer centres in the managed cancer control network for the HSE Dublin mid-Leinster region, which includes Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. University College Hospital Galway and Limerick Regional Hospital are the two cancer centres for the western region, which includes Leitrim and Roscommon. Patients in County Cavan will be served by the two designated cancer centres in the Dublin north-east region, Beaumont Hospital and the Mater hospital. The HSE has confirmed that services will not be transferred until appropriate capacity has been developed in the receiving centres.

Arising from the designation of eight cancer centres nationally and to comply with the national quality assurance standards for symptomatic breast disease services, the HSE announced earlier this month that within the coming weeks, breast cancer services at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, will be transferred to the Mater hospital in Dublin. It should be noted that only 19 breast cancer procedures were carried out in 2006 in the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar. The standards require each specialist breast cancer centre to manage a minimum number of 150 new breast cancer cases per year.

The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland, including in the midland region, in accordance with best international standards.

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