Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Seanad Éireann:

recognises that: - hair loss during cancer treatment or chemotherapy-induced alopecia is one of the most common side effects of cancer therapy; it can have a profoundly negative impact on cancer patients, often compounding the worry and trauma they are experiencing dealing with the cancer itself; further recognises that: - there is a hypothermia treatment which can help minimise hair loss for those undergoing chemotherapy, known as scalp cooling; this involves using a ‘cold cap’ machine during chemotherapy to reduce blood flow to the scalp;

- meta-analyses of studies of scalp cooling have found that it is an increasingly effective method to prevent hair loss, particularly for specific types of chemotherapy and for those undergoing treatment for breast cancer; acknowledges that: - a scalp cooling service is provided in seven hospitals nationally; these are St. Vincent´s University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Cork University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, St. Luke´s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny, Sligo University Hospital and Cavan General Hospital;

- the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore had previously provided this service, but it was paused during the pandemic and has not yet resumed; calls on the Government to: - ensure that a scalp cooling service is provided in all of the 26 public hospitals providing systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) in Ireland, namely by purchasing the necessary machines in the remaining 18 hospitals and restoring the service in the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore;

- ensure that the following hospitals will be equipped with the necessary machines:

- Galway University Hospital;

- Portiuncula University Hospital;

- South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital;

- University Hospital Kerry;

- Tipperary University Hospital;

- Letterkenny University Hospital;

- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital;

- Mercy University Hospital Cork;

- Naas General Hospital;

- University Hospital Waterford;

- Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda;

- Wexford General Hospital;

- CHI at Crumlin Hospital;

- St. Luke's General Hospital Kilkenny;

- Beaumont Hospital;

- St. Luke's Hospital Rathgar;

- St. James's Hospital;

- Connolly Hospital;

- ensure that all those undergoing chemotherapy will be advised of the nature, side effects, efficacy of scalp cooling, and offered the option of using the service.”