Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harris, this morning. I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising the issue of radiotherapy services in Cork and for giving me the opportunity to update the House on this matter. Cork University Hospital is a designated cancer centre. Radiation oncology treatment is currently available at the hospital. The Minister, Deputy Harris, would like to assure Senator Burke that the building of the new radiation oncology facility to meet the level of demand that will arise in the coming years is progressing as planned. The construction of the new facility is a key component of the national plan for radiation oncology and its delivery will not be delayed arising from the costs involved at the new children’s hospital.

Radiation oncology treatment is available in four other public hospitals, namely, St. James’s Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and University Hospital Galway. Through a North-South joint initiative, radiation oncology services are available to patients from the Republic of Ireland, mostly from Donegal, in the North West Cancer Centre in Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Derry. In addition, contracted services are available to public patients in Waterford and Limerick. Due to the projected increases in cancer incidence arising from an increasing and an aging population, demand for radiation oncology services is expected to grow. New facilities are also planned for Galway and design work has commenced on a facility to house further radiation oncology capacity at Beaumont Hospital. Recommendation 22 of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 highlights the importance of expanding capacity in Cork, Galway and Dublin in line with the national plan for radiation oncology. Building work on the new facility in Cork is nearing completion and will be fully complete in this quarter. Many of the extra staff who will work in the new expanded service are already in place. It is expected that the facility will be fully equipped, commissioned and operational early in 2020.

The HSE’s national cancer control programme, with oversight from the Department of Health, monitors the radiation oncology key performance indicators as agreed in the national cancer strategy. According to the most recent report of November 2018, 87% of referrals to radiation oncology units were offered an appointment within 15 working days. Projects, such as that under construction in Cork, will allow us to continue to provide quality and timely care to patients in the coming years.