Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak about sarcoma services at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin. I thank Deputy Kelleher for raising this important matter. Sarcomas are rare malignant tumours that arise from transformed cells of the connective tissues, such as muscle, fat, cartilage or bone. I acknowledge that people who have been diagnosed with sarcoma, or any other serious illness, will of course be concerned that they receive the best care and treatment. That is a concern that I share.

As the Deputy said, services for the management of these patients with sarcoma are currently provided in St. Vincent's Hospital as well as in Cork University Hospital. The multidisciplinary team in St. Vincent's Hospital has all of the relevant specialities represented, including surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology and pathology.

Recently, a consultant medical oncologist was employed by St. Vincent's Hospital on a locum contract to provide cover for one of the other consultant medical oncologists who had taken on the role of chair of the Irish clinical oncology research group. This consultant has now returned to his post at the hospital. The reason for employing the locum has now ceased. That locum was only ever filling a role on a temporary basis while the consultant medical oncologist took up the role of chair of the research group. I have made inquiries about this because I have been contacted by a number of people and I am assured by the HSE that care for patients undergoing treatment for sarcoma cancer at St. Vincent's Hospital will not be compromised in any way and their management will be provided by one of the hospital's full-time oncologists.

In relation to sarcoma services nationally, a national clinical lead in soft tissue sarcomas has been appointed to oversee the services for patients with sarcomas. All Irish patients with sarcoma have their cases presented and discussed at one of the two sarcoma multidisciplinary teams. The HSE's national cancer control programme, established in 2007, has reorganised and expanded cancer services to achieve better outcomes for patients and has moved the system of care to one that consolidates cancer treatment in larger centres with multi-disciplinary care and decision-making. These services are provided regardless of income, age and location.

Long-term survival for all cancers has improved markedly with five year survival rates increasing from 57% for patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2007 to 61% for patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2012. It is expected that survival rates will increase further due to the combined approach of screening, symptomatic detection and improved treatment.

My Department is currently working on a new national cancer strategy for the next decade. This will build on the progress made through the implementation of the two previous strategies. Areas of focus are likely to include prevention, early diagnosis, further improvements in treatment, rare cancers, survivorship and high quality, patient-centred care. I intend to publish the new strategy in the coming months.

As I said at the outset, I want to acknowledge the concerns people who have been diagnosed with sarcoma have in relation to their care. However, I wish to pass on the reassurances I have been given by the HSE that there will be no reduction to the service provided by the St. Vincent's Hospital's oncology team. I welcome the opportunity to clarify this issue.

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