David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

The Irish Cancer Society was before the Oireachtas health committee a number of weeks ago. It raised very serious concerns in relation to major delays in diagnostics and treatment, particularly in the areas of colonoscopy, breast and prostate clinics, imaging, surgery and radiation therapy. It raised concerns about severe staffing shortages in radiology, cancer nursing and radiation therapy.

I put down a parliamentary question on the number of scanners and the diagnostic equipment that is lying idle, is not being fully utilised or has reached end of life. It is staggering to look at some of the details that have come back. For example, in Sligo hospital, a CT scanner is not fully utilised because one additional whole-time equivalent radiology post is needed, which was approved, and the hospital is still waiting for that appointment to be made. In University Hospital Limerick, one CT scanner is under-utilised; there is a staffing requirement for two whole-time equivalent radiologists needed to run it full time. In Ennis, one CT scanner and one ultrasound machine are under-utilised because four whole-time equivalent radiographers are needed, as well as a radiographer assistant, nurses and so on. At St. Luke's Radiation Oncology Network, and this was very helpfully raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett a number of weeks ago, linear accelerator, LINAC, equipment is out of date and needs to be replaced. There is a dire need for investment in equipment and diagnostics in our cancer services. I have not heard from the Minister what additional funding, either capital or current, has been made available, specifically for the national cancer strategy.

See this speech in context