Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to concerns with regard to waiting times for cancer services at University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36536/14]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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There is considerable concern about the standard of service at the cancer care centre at the regional hospital in Galway. It seems there has been a deterioration, not on the part of the staff who are doing an excellent job but in the ability to access beds and chemotherapy treatment. There were reports in the media during the summer about risk control. I know that the Minister has met some of the people involved in the cancer services in the context of the new review. Will he comment on the role of University Hospital Galway in the cancer strategy programme in the next ten years?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I had sought information from the HSE in respect of the number of cases presenting, but trying to get information from the executive is like throwing a ball against a haystack. The Minster introduced a ten-day turnaround for all agencies to respond to parliamentary questions in his previous Department and I encourage him to consider doing that in his new Department.

There is considerable pressure on chemotherapy clinics. Targets are being met, which is welcome, but the conditions people are being treated in are absolutely horrific. I have heard about several bad cases, including one in which a person receives chemotherapy standing up in order that the staff can keep to the schedule. People are left to wait for hours, some after travelling considerable distances to the hospital from across the region, and then they must leave Galway late at night to travel back home.

With regard to the key performance indicator for prostate cancer, which is 51% in University Hospital Galway, when does the Minister hope to have a figure to measure the improvements he has outlined? This is Blue September, and prostate cancer has become one of the greatest cancer threats. It is not acceptable that one out of two cases are not being dealt with within the timeframe. When does he hope to have an updated figure in this regard?

How many of the new appointees to University Hospital Galway will be deployed in the cancer care unit? Will any of them be attached to Mayo General Hospital?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There were many detailed questions about an individual hospital. I am afraid I do not have all that information to hand. As the Deputy mentioned, I had a ten-day limit for answering parliamentary questions in my previous Department and that will be introduced in my new Department, although the timeframe will probably be 14 days, not ten. However, if parliamentary questions are not answered by the HSE, they will be followed up by my Department within that timeframe.

The figures are done monthly and reported in arrears. I have given the Deputy the August figures. It is still September and, therefore, I cannot give him this month's figures, but I imagine they will be available in October.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister's office focus on the arrangements for the delivery of chemotherapy in University Hospital Galway? That is one area causing considerable concern and distress among patients, especially given the distances people must travel. Staff in Hawkins House do not understand the distance element, particularly where people leave Galway following their treatment at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and have to travel across the region.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is a guideline of the special delivery unit that people should be given appropriate outpatient appointment times. Sometimes everyone is told to turn up at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., and that is not acceptable. I invited all the hospital managers to meet me approximately two weeks ago and one of the issues I specifically raised with them was that hospitals should give people realistic appointment times, every 15 minutes or every half an hour, and not just have everyone arrive at the same time. None of the managers said they had a problem with that, and I will follow this up with them when I meet them again in a few months.