Written answers

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Department of Health and Children

Hospital Services

9:00 pm

Photo of Brian O'SheaBrian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will give her total effort and commitment to removing with full haste the obstacles to the progress of the putting in place of the new cancer services unit at Waterford Regional Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13108/08]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive has designated Waterford Regional Hospital as one of two cancer centres in the Managed Cancer Control Network for the HSE South. Professor Tom Keane took up his position as interim Director of the National Cancer Control Programme last November. The decision of the HSE to establish four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres under the Programme will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. The Department is working closely with the HSE in implementing the National Plan for Radiation Oncology. The Plan consists of four large centres in Dublin (at St. James's and Beaumont Hospitals), Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Limerick Regional Hospital and Waterford Regional Hospital. The HSE has confirmed that it will have in place radiation oncology capacity to meet the needs of the population by 2010. After 2010 the HSE will continue to increase capacity to ensure that these needs continue to be met. I am fully confident that this will be achieved through a combination of direct Exchequer provision, PPP and, where appropriate, the use of the private sector. The development of radiation oncology at Waterford Regional Hospital is an integral part of the Government's National Plan for Radiation Oncology. In the interim, a service level agreement was signed on 1 February 2007 between the HSE and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre at Whitfield Clinic. This is supporting the referral of public patients for radiation oncology treatment pending the commissioning of the radiation oncology centre at Waterford Regional Hospital. The public outpatient clinics for Whitfield Clinic commenced in Waterford Regional Hospital in March 2007.

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