Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

University Hospital Galway is one of eight designated cancer centres in Ireland. Key performance indicators have been developed for referrals to cancer centres for breast, lung and prostate cancer with a view to ensuring consistent procedures and quality services for patients.

For breast cancer, the target is that 95% of patients who are deemed to be urgent cases will be offered an appointment within ten days of receipt of the referral letter and that 95% of non-urgent cases will be offered an appointment within 12 weeks. All urgent patients referred to University Hospital Galway are being seen within the ten-day target period. In August this year 86% of non-urgent patients were seen within the target timeframe. While every effort is being made to achieve the target timeframe, a significant issue arising across the cancer centres is the increasing numbers of non-urgent referrals. Some of them are deemed to be inappropriate referrals and a focus is now being put on the better overall management of the referral process.

For lung cancer, the target is that 95% of patients will be offered an appointment within ten days of receipt of the referral letter. In University Hospital Galway 60% of such referrals were seen within this very challenging timeframe in August. There have been some staffing pressures in nursing and clerical areas in University Hospital Galway in recent months and these are being addressed. Efforts are also being made to achieve an integrated team approach in the service.

For prostate cancer, the target is that 90% of patients will be offered an appointment within 20 days of receipt of the referral letter. In Galway 51% were seen within the target timescale. There has been a considerable improvement in this figure since the start of the year and service provision is being reorganised in this area to maximise throughput. A new locum consultant will start work shortly and this will have a significant impact. A permanent appointment will be advertised in the coming months.

Meanwhile, radiotherapy patients in Galway are being treated in a timely fashion and plans are in place to expand the radiation oncology facilities at the hospital to meet projected needs in the coming years.

Comprehensive cancer treatment services are available in Galway and a concerted effort is being made to address pressures on treatment capacity as they arise.

See this speech in context