Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Cassidy for raising this issue on the Adjournment and for his contribution. I also thank Senator McFadden for her contribution. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children who is unable to be with us this evening.

However, I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position in respect of the reorganisation of cancer services nationally, with particular reference to the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar. Arising from the designation of eight cancer centres nationally and to comply with the national quality assurance standards for symptomatic breast disease, the Health Service Executive announced last week that within the coming weeks, breast cancer services at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar will be transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin. GPs will be fully informed about the new arrangements and will be in a position to refer new patients appropriately.

A total of 26 breast cancer procedures were carried out at the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar in 2005. The HSE has advised the Department that the hospital currently has two consultant radiologists with specialist training in breast disease who work closely together to ensure high quality imaging services. The radiologists work with the consultant surgeon who also has a specialist interest in breast care.

The HSE has advised that the consultant surgeon is due to retire very shortly and it would have been deemed inappropriate to recruit a new surgeon with the planned implementation of the national cancer control programme and the transfer of services to the eight designated cancer centres. The HSE has also confirmed that although no new breast cancer patients will be seen at the hospital, appointments for mammograms already arranged will be honoured and returning patients to the consultant surgeon will continue to be seen until their treatment is completed.

The HSE has advised that the patient services officer in the Mater Hospital and hospital management at the Midland Regional Hospital are in discussions concerning the planning of an orderly transfer of patients from that hospital to the Mater Hospital, including transport arrangements, where required. I take the point raised about transport and will highlight this with the Minister and the HSE. Both sides are in discussions and will also refer to transport arrangements. The HSE has assured women who have been receiving care in the Midland Regional Hospital that they should have no concerns regarding this service and has emphasised that this transfer is part of the move to the eight designated specialist breast centres.

The decisions of the HSE in respect of the four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. 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 the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar.

As the House is aware, the HSE has appointed Professor Tom Keane as national cancer control director to lead and manage the establishment of the national cancer control programme. He is due to take up his post next week. The HSE plans to have completed 50% of the transition of services to cancer centres by the end of 2008 and 80% to 90% by the end of 2009. The HSE has confirmed that services will not be transferred until appropriate capacity has been developed in the receiving centres.

The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland in accordance with best international standards. The developments outlined will ensure a comprehensive quality assured service is available to all patients with cancer nationally, including in the midlands region.