John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the status of the national procurement process for radiotherapy services being conducted by her Department; the prescribed standards and guidelines recommended by her Department for the provision of radiotherapy services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31342/06]

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that over 1,000 cancer patients from the south east are forced to travel to Dublin or Cork for radiotherapy treatment each year; if her further attention has been drawn to the fact that a private hospital in Waterford will be in a position to offer such treatment from the end of 2006; if she has been informed that the Health Service Executive is unable to negotiate a service level agreement with that hospital for the provision of such treatment due to the fact that her Department has not completed its procurement exercise; when she will be in a position to authorise the negotiation of such an agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31343/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together.

My Department is not conducting a national procurement process for radiotherapy services, nor does it have any plans to do so. The provision of radiotherapy services for public patients is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE has advised my Department that it is considering a request from the Whitfield Clinic, the private facility referred to by the Deputy, to provide services to public patients. Quality standards for the provision of radiation oncology services for public patients have been prepared by an expert group established on foot of a Government decision in January 2004. The HSE has advised my Department that it is applying these standards to radiation oncology services that it provides or arranges to have provided.

My Department is working closely with the HSE to progress the National Radiation Oncology Plan announced by Government in July 2005. It will deliver integrated care to cancer patients by multi-disciplinary teams of cancer experts at centres in Dublin (at Beaumont and St. James's Hospitals), Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital.